After registering 2.3 billion impressions in 2019, the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) Consumer Advertising Campaign was announced as a winner of the American Society of Association Executives’ 2020 Gold Circle Award for Rebranding. The award is bestowed annually to marketing initiatives that employ “innovative strategies to reach target audiences.” NAR’s national “That’s Who We R” advertising campaign—designed to convey the value of REALTORS® as local real estate experts who abide by NAR’s Code of Ethics—left nearly 80 percent of those surveyed more likely to use a REALTOR® in the future.
“This award—and the successes of the ‘That’s Who We R’ campaign to date—are a testament to the support we have received from our members since the day this campaign launched,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, Calif. “So many REALTORS® across the country have helped us elevate the ‘That’s Who We R’ message, and NAR is thrilled to see it produce such tangible, encouraging results for the REALTOR® brand and our 1.4 million members.”
With the added objective of highlighting the distinction between real estate agents and REALTORS®—members of NAR who abide by the association’s Code of Ethics—the campaign proved remarkably effective. Data from a third-party market research firm showed a double-digit increase in those who say they’d choose a REALTOR® over a real estate agent while also recording an increase in those who reported believing a REALTOR® is “an expert when it comes to homebuying and selling.”
“NAR is fortunate to have the scale, resources and member support to back a national advertising campaign that exemplifies who REALTORS® are and the value they bring to a transaction,” Malta continued. “It is gratifying to know that ASEA’s judges felt the REALTOR® brand conveyed this message so successfully.”
Inspired by NAR’s Code of Ethics, the “That’s Who We R“ campaign focuses on the value of the REALTOR® difference through strong visual branding and culturally relevant storytelling. The next wave of NAR’s “That’s Who We R” campaign launched Feb. 3, 2020, and is designed to rally consumers to “Look for the R” for reassurance, resources and reliable guidance on their path to property ownership.
For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.