NAR’s Victoria Gillespie tells RISMedia about the massive collaborative effort to bring the REALTOR® voice to life and communicate the power of the “R” to consumers.

Last year, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) kicked off “That’s Who We R,” a national branding campaign that helped define what it means to be a REALTOR®—a true advocate of consumers, homeownership and property rights. To further drive the point home, NAR recently introduced “Look for the R” as a reminder to consumers to look for the iconic REALTOR® “R” if they want a real estate transaction that promises integrity and clarity.

“The focus is to have consumers look for the ‘R,'” NAR’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Victoria Gillespie tells RISMedia. “REALTORS® provide guidance throughout the real estate process. The campaign is a call to action for consumers that highlights our trademark, which is a trusted beacon.”

“Last year’s foundational ‘That’s Who We R’ campaign communicated to consumers that ‘R’ = REALTOR®, and there is a difference. This year, the campaign will show them what that difference looks like, in action,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in a statement. “The ‘Look for the R’ evolution clearly positions REALTORS® as real estate professionals who adhere to a Code of Ethics and make property ownership a reality through expertise and fair and ethical treatment.”

According to NAR, the campaign “focuses on authentic, human moments in the journey to property ownership, both residential and commercial, and seeks to capture the relationships between REALTORS®, their clients and communities.”

NAR once again worked with Havas to create several 15- and 30-second television spots for the campaign. These will also be featured throughout various other outlets, such as online video, streaming, terrestrial audio, social media, branded content partnerships and upcoming activations, according to NAR.

Watch the 30-second “First Real Home” spot below:

NAR and Havas also produced the following:

• First Real Home 0:15: https://youtu.be/_5BSR7FkK6c
• Raise the Bar 0:30: https://youtu.be/6_80L6GjJbQ
• Raise the Bar 0:15: https://youtu.be/MgXt-P0bSNQ
• Resource: https://youtu.be/wMULyFuaDi4

“Havas is a group of creative, strategy and media experts that helped us pull everything together with the beauty of alliteration paralleled with the iconic ‘R,'” says Gillespie. “Working with Havas has been amazing. They learned our voice and intimately understand how our members advocate for consumers and property rights.”

“NAR has such a strong brand mark in the ‘R,'” said John Norman, chief creative officer of Havas Chicago, in a statement. “The modern, geometric shapes are great building blocks for communication. ‘That’s Who We R’ takes those iconic shapes, that same ‘R’ REALTORS® wear so proudly on their shirts and lapels, and brings it into the world. Look for the ‘R’ and you’ll find it wherever good things are happening in real estate. It’s a clever way of integrating the NAR brand into people’s lived experience as buyers and sellers. It highlights just how meaningful a REALTOR®’s expertise can be.”

In addition to the commercials, NAR also released an app that houses all of the campaign’s assets, making it easy for REALTORS® to participate in the campaign by quickly personalizing the content and sharing it with their clients.

“Last year’s success was making companion assets available to our members so they could integrate them into their practice, within their brokerages and associations. This year, we launched the Photofy app, which includes pre-loaded campaign assets for social sharing,” says Gillespie. “We know our members are out and about, so they can use the app to personalize these assets from their phone and share it with their clients. They can personalize everything from their name, business and contact information.”

The campaign’s end goal? To capture the relationship between REALTORS® and consumers, as well as define the value that REALTORS® provide, says Gillespie.

“We didn’t want to lose momentum from the ‘That’s Who We R’ campaign launch in 2019. We want to play on that and evolve it further. Everyone knows the ‘R’ stands for REALTOR®, but what is that difference? It’s emphasizing that we follow a Code of Ethics, and we provide value that consumers can’t get from marketplace tech solutions,” says Gillespie.

More and more tech-heavy platforms are flooding real estate, but Gillespie is firm in her belief that technology will never replace the REALTOR® experience.

“Just because something is automated doesn’t mean it can replace the consultative hand-holding that REALTORS®—seasoned professionals—provide,” she says. “REALTORS® help consumers navigate the market and make informed decisions.”

Gillespie led the creation of the campaign, working with the Consumer Communications Committee, which is made up of about 46 members, to produce something that was not only compelling, but that consumers would find value in and that REALTORS® could proudly share. One of the biggest priorities in crafting this campaign, says Gillespie, was ensuring that the REALTOR® voice was heard.

“This is a big collaboration. They are involved with this effort because they live this every day. We wanted to have input from practitioners because we want REALTORS® to be proud and embrace this advertising campaign. Chair Jay Mitchell and Vice Chair CJ DelVecchio helped bring that authenticity forward,” says Gillespie.

“‘Look for the R’, as part of ‘That’s Who We R,’ showcases why prospective property buyers and sellers should seek a REALTOR®’s unmatched focus, expertise, reliability and integrity to help them realize their goals and dreams,” says Mitchell, chairman, NAR 2020 Consumer Communications Committee and managing broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty, in Virginia Beach. “The full suite of campaign assets allow our members to personalize and localize these important messages to consumers in their own wonderful and diverse markets across the country.”

“I’m honored to have worked on this campaign on behalf of 1.4 million members,” says Gillespie. “It is their campaign; their voice is instrumental to knowing we are headed in the right direction. We sought REALTORS®’ advice because reflecting authenticity to consumers is vital.”

For more information on the “That’s Who We R” campaign, visit nar.realtor.

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.