Earned Media and Digital Advocacy Campaign to Encourage the Federal Housing Finance Agency to Reconsider a Fannie Mae Pilot Program

Rational 360 worked with a financial technology company to implement an earned media and digital advocacy program to successfully persuade the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to reinstate a Fannie Mae pilot program that would waive insurance requirements for mortgage refinances and lower costs for buyers and lenders but had been canceled under pressure from the title insurance industry.

Services Provided

Public Affairs and Strategic Communications; Paid Digital Influence & Advertising; Message Development; Earned Media; Third-Party Engagement; Stakeholder Management; Social Media

Key Success Points

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reinstated the pilot program developed by Fannie Mae to waive insurance requirements for mortgage refinances.

Secured coverage in the Wall Street Journal on efforts by the title insurance industry to pressure the FHFA to shut down the pilot program, ultimately leading to President Biden expressing support for the program in the State of the Union Address.

Generated more than 20,300 content views with digital advertising promoting earned media coverage among Administration officials, Members of Congress, staff, and advocacy stakeholder groups.

Coordinated third-party advocacy group support for the pilot program and promotion of earned media coverage.

Rational 360 worked with a technology company that provides title insurance and settlement services, leveraging its proprietary platform to deliver these services more efficiently and lower costs for both buyers and lenders. Rational 360 worked to educate the White House, Congress, advocacy organizations, and key FHFA personnel about the benefits of a pilot program developed with Fannie Mae that could save homeowners thousands of dollars on refinancing.

Secured Prominent Media Coverage in the Wall Street Journal.

Rational 360 secured coverage of the efforts to shut down the Fannie Mae pilot program by the title insurance industry in the Wall Street Journal, highlighting the increased costs to homeowners and the impact on the FHFA’s efforts to support equitable housing finance. The coverage of efforts to block the pilot program generated significant concern among advocacy groups and third-party stakeholders because of the effects on homeowners. This coverage gained the attention of White House officials and led to a mention of the pilot program in the State of the Union address by President Biden.

Managed Third-Party Relationships to Generate Support for the Pilot Program.

Rational 360 identified and built relationships with third-party stakeholders who supported the pilot program proposed by Fannie Mae. Rational 360 worked with third-party organizations to publicly discuss the merits of the proposal and support the FHFA director’s decision to reinstate the pilot program.

Developed Targeted Digital Advertising to Key Policymakers.

Rational 360 launched a digital advertising campaign to promote the Wall Street Journal article to policymakers and staff in the White House, Congress, and FHFA. Rational 360 identified key policymakers and staff, third-party influencers, and other advocates and delivered a targeted message highlighting the Wall Street Journal coverage.

Developed Strategic Messaging to Resonate with Key Audiences.

Rational 360 worked with corporate leaders to develop a message likely to resonate with key officials and staff, which was bolstered by coverage in the Wall Street Journal. Rational 360 supported the client’s government affairs team in crafting and delivering strategic messaging to government officials and external stakeholders.

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