Marketing

To help consumers, we first need to reach consumers. 

Not being able to pay the mortgage can be one of the scariest situations a person faces.  Embarrassed about their situation and unsure about what to do, studies show that roughly 50 percent of delinquent borrowers avoid contact with their lender, hoping the problem will go away.  Instead of acting on quality advice, they fall deeper into the hole and increase their chances of foreclosing. If these homeowners could receive solid financial advice and help, tens of thousands of them could avoid foreclosure.

To reach at-risk homeowners across the country, NeighborWorks® America teamed up with the Ad Council to create a national public service advertising campaign. The campaign targets low- and moderate-income families who are having difficulty keeping up with their mortgage payments and encourages them to call The Homeownership Preservation Foundation’s Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE for confidential financial counseling.

By highlighting the effects that foreclosure has on the entire family, the PSAs remind homeowners that if they’re “not facing their mortgage issues things will only get worse. Call 1-888-995-HOPE now. Because nothing is worse than doing nothing.”

The national campaign includes donated TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, web, and outdoor advertising in addition to direct mail and grassroots marketing. Over 190 local nonprofits and municipalities have joined the campaign to promote foreclosure counseling in their communities.  Advertising materials are available to all interested communities around the country.

Since the campaign launched, the number of callers to the advertised hotline has grown in leaps and bounds. Callers are reporting hearing about the hotline from television, radio, newspaper, internet, billboards and more. The television ads have aired on such programs as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, CSI: Miami, Dr. Phil, and Oprah. 

Visit www.ForeclosureHelpandHope.org for more information about the PSA campaign.

Resources

» Training Presentation: Leveraging Your Local Media to Promote the Public Serivice Announcements [PPT]