Sometimes all you need is a little makeover.
Last year, nonprofit real estate lender Baltimore Community Lending teamed up with Pinnacle Communications, their agency of record, to completely overhaul their brand. Formerly named Baltimore Community Development Financing Corp., the company?s rebranding is an attempt to attract new business.
“The primary reason [for the campaign] was so we could get the information out to the public that we were there,” said Baltimore Community Lending President and Chief Executive Officer Ruth Louie. “We wanted to get people more interested in the services we provide. With our name change and some of the work that we?ve done lately with the organization over the last couple of years, we thought it was a great time to jump out there with a new advertising campaign.”
Pinnacle created a brand new media campaign for the company, consisting of print, outdoor, radio and television spots, as well as a new Web site. The campaign, which will run through July, will appear in area publications. In addition, the company is also launching a public service announcement campaign to warn the public of the dangers of predatory lending tactics.
“Over 12 months, we did research with focus groups to determine some attitudes about the current brand focus,” said Tracey Haldeman, president of Pinnacle Communications. “That information helped us test and determine some new choices for the renaming. We also pinpointed attributes that people think about when they think about what their ideal mortgage lender is.”
Pinnacle decided to focus the brand on Baltimore Community Lending?s excellent customer service, which saw a strong customer response in their research. “We decided to focus on BCL?s dedication to seeing their clients succeed and how they really take their clients through the entire process of a rehabilitation, helping them identify if their project is right,” Haldeman said.
“The results of the campaign so far have been very good for us, in terms of getting the word out about BCL,” Louie said, adding that Baltimore Community Lending has experienced a significant increase in calls of people interested in utilizing the company?s services. “The benefit of launching the campaign is already there, and as it continues, we expect it only to increase more.”
Contact the Agency
» Pinnacle Communications Resource Co.
» 6507 York Road, Baltimore
» 410-662-4573
» www.pinnacleco.com
