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Media, Mayors Support ‘Buy Now’ Campaign in Arkansas
The Northwest Arkansas Home Builders Association knew getting the “Buy Now” message out to buyers and the media would be a challenge for just one organization. So they recruited the Board of Realtors®, the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas and even three local mayors to come together to create and launch the “Buy NWA Now!” public relations campaign.
“We set up a public relations committee that met every week and was composed of representatives from each of the organizations,” said Bob Musson, national director of the HBA.
The group created a campaign featuring television and radio advertising, print brochures and a new consumer Web site: buynwanow.com, and used some less-traditional tactics as well, such as having a local mayor appear in their TV spots.
The media was invited to the kickoff event in mid-February, and the local ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates all covered it. Clips of the news segments — in which every housing industry professional interviewed gives a consistent “Buy Now” message and supporting information — can be viewed on the site. Click here to view one of them.
Musson said that care was taken not to refer to individual organizations, but rather to recognize the three trade federations on the Web site. “We wanted buyers to see it as a source for accurate information that answers the questions they may have about buying a home in today’s market, and not as a sales pitch,” he said.
The association took advantage of the resources NAHB provides to HBAs and members, and used many of the articles and information from www.nahb.org on buynwanow.com.
Following up on the inaugural event, more than 7,000 consumers attending the late February NWAHBA Home & Garden Show were given campaign brochures promoting the benefits of buying a home. Two local talk radio stations held panel interviews featuring representatives from the builders, mortgage lenders and Realtors®.
One unique element of the campaign is a speakers’ board.
“We’re training spokespersons, giving them a PowerPoint we used at the home show, and sending them out to speak to civic organizations, professional groups — basically anyone who will listen to us,” he said.
On April 1, the HBA held a media event where the mayors of Fayetteville, Springdale, and Rogers signed a proclamation designating the week as "Buy NWA Now Week.” Steve Womack, the mayor of Rogers, is also appearing in the campaign’s television commercials.
Initial feedback shows that the campaign is working. “The mortgage bankers and Realtors® on the committee are reporting that they’re seeing an increase in new home applications and requests for home showings,” Musson said.
The Myth Buster resources were developed by NAHB to help members and local associations communicate accurate information about their local housing market and reassure hesitant consumers.
For more information on the Myth Buster Resources, or to tell us about your Myth Buster success story, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.
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