Direct mortgage lender Rock Financial Corp., which last week
announced a Net move that involves closing most of its real world locations,
launched a $20 million advertising campaign.
The print and broadcast campaign for RockLoans.com will span the next 12
months, the company said.
Ads will appear on national television stations including CNN, CNBC and TNT.
RockLoans.com will also sponsor radio advertising on CBS Radio and others,
and buy national print publications and other traditional media.
Internet marketing alliances are in the works, too. RockLoans.com recently
announced an agreement with broadcast.com to become the only home
mortgage services provider to sponsor areas on the site that feature live
game coverage of the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and NCAA
basketball. Rock has also signed an agreement with iClick.
The ad campaign emphasizes how easy, convenient, and cost effective it is to
secure a home loan online at RockLoans.com. Because it processes, underwrites
and closes the loans itself — bypassing the middleman generally associated
with online home mortgages — Rock says it is unlike most mortgage companies
on the Web today.
“The rollout of this new national direct marketing and brand building effort increases the
exposure for RockLoans.com, and it furthers our commitment to be a premiere
destination on the Web for people to finance their homes,” said Daniel Gilbert, CEO and chairman of Rock Financial. Agency details
were not disclosed.
Rock announced July 9 it would take a third quarter charge of $3.5 million to
$4.5 million to close 12 of its remaining 15 branch offices and focus its
business on online direct mortgages.