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Print This PostTuesday, Feb 9, 2010 • Posted by Andrew Davidson
In December 2009, Advanced Financial Services changed its name and rebranded as Embrace Home Loans. This was a significant move for a company that has been in operation since 1983. Advanced Financial Services used direct mail as its primary marketing channel and in Q4 2009, we began to track the first direct mail offers branded as Embrace Home Loans.
Advanced Financial Services actually remained profitable despite the downturn so, therefore, the rebranding is more about tapping into its potential for future growth. Commenting on the name change in a press release, Kurt Noyce, President of Embrace Home Loans, said, “we now find ourselves in an enviable position with many opportunities for future growth, but our name hasn’t kept pace with that growth. We have not been available in all markets and were easily confused with many other financial services companies. So we decided to make a change with a name that defines not only what we do, but also what we care about.”
The launch includes a new website that promises to “help customers feel comfortable and secure every step of the way.” The site features customer testimonials from the 46 states Embrace operates in, as well as video recordings of staff explaining how they have helped customers.
Most of the offers from Embrace Home Loans in Q4 2009 utilize a black-and-white version of the orange Embrace logo and the same creative that was mailed under the Advanced Financial Services brand.
Some offers, however, reveal a new orange logo and the message, “embrace the possibility.” These offers tap into Embrace’s new values. For example, in one marketing piece, a Post-it note adds a personal touch and the text is customer centric in its focus. The offer explains how Embrace wants to save its customers money because rates are at historically low levels.
The Embrace rebranding follows the launch of the Bank of America Home Loans brand in April 2009. These two firms are currently the top two direct marketers in terms mortgage acquisition mail volume. The rebranding efforts are encouraging because both lenders are re-positioning themselves to take advantage of a potential recovery in the mortgage market.
good for me
I just received a direct mail offer from Embrace Home Loans. It is however signed by David Noyce, not Kurt. Is this a bona fide offer?
All Embrace offers captured on Comperemedia are signed by David Noyce so it sounds like you have a legitimate offer.
However, from reading other blog posts, you are not the only one who has questioned this discrepancy. In a discussion on the Mortgage Insider, an Embrace representative explains that the President’s full name is Kurt David Noyce (http://themortgageinsider.net/mortgage-reviews/embrace-home-loans-mortgage-review.html/comment-page-3/).
Sometimes marketers use fictional names or adapt their names so they know where to route calls when they come in. Obviously it is not practical to have the President handling all mortgage applications even if he wants to come across as down-to-earth and accessible.
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