Branding Systems That Starts With People: A Persona-Led Case Study with Aspen Leisure Co.

Client Background

Aspen Leisure Co. (formerly Boutique Mountain Homes) is a luxury vacation rental brand based in Aspen Valley, curating high-end homes and experiences for guests seeking a deeper, more memorable stay. The client approached me to lead a full rebrand, from identity through rollout, as they prepared to scale the business and elevate their presence.

The Opportunity

Modern branding isn’t just about logos; it’s about aligning every touchpoint with how your audience thinks, searches, and makes decisions.

In our initial strategy session, I proposed that the real gap in Aspen’s rental market wasn’t for “just another” luxury rental brand. The opportunity was in creating an emotional, elevated, and quietly exclusive vacation experience; one that’s locally owned, deeply personal, and positioned with intention.

Beyond visual identity, it became clear that the brand’s name needed to evolve. The original name, Boutique Mountain Homes, lacked the emotional resonance and refined positioning to match the brand’s vision. Through strategic exploration, Aspen Leisure Co. was born; a name that feels timeless, approachable, and aligned with their promise of curated, meaningful stays.

Our Approach: Personas with Purpose

Rather than treating personas as a checkbox branding exercise, we used the insights to reverse-engineer brand behavior and perceptions specifically around how this audience defines trust, quality, and connection.

Persona 1: The Luxury Family Vacationer

• High expectations for branding and digital experience

• Prioritizes family moments, Instagrammable backdrops, and design that feels elevated yet warm

• Discovers rentals via social media, Google, and word-of-mouth

Implication: Branding must feel nostalgic and cinematic; like a vacation memory already lived. The logo should be “cute enough” to photograph on a coaster, and the identity should carry across to Instagram naturally.

Persona 2: Empty-Nester Couple

• Seeks concierge-level service and curated exclusivity

• Enjoys private activities and insider moments

• Discovers rentals via referrals and highly polished digital experiences

Implication: The brand needed to speak with quiet authority. We introduced the idea of Aspen Leisure as a “timeworn narrator”; a local voice guiding you toward insider experiences.

Brand Strategy & Visual Direction

From those insights, we shaped a visual system and verbal tone that communicated:

• Emotional sophistication

• Curated experience access

• Unpretentious luxury

Our guiding brand direction, Western Opulence, blended rugged natural textures with quiet wealth cues; capturing the exact experience their audience sought.

Competitive research, paired with persona-driven value pillars, led to a clear and differentiated brand positioning: “Curated Vacation Rentals.”

The entire system was built for scalability; ensuring consistency across web, social media, print, and property signage, while leaving space for future growth into experiences and partnerships.

Deliverables

• Primary logo system and monogram

• Typography + color system

• Brand styling guide

• Brand direction/mood system (Western Opulence)

• Photo + tone of voice guidelines

• Social templates and print collateral support

Outcome

1. Internal clarity and alignment for the founding team

2. A distinctive identity that stands out in Aspen’s crowded luxury vacation rental market

3. A brand system that carries across digital, print, and in-property signage

4. A clear sense of emotional positioning and brand narrative for future marketing work

   
   

   

This case study highlights how strategic brand building can start with personas; but grow into a full emotional, visual, and conversion-driving ecosystem.