Rocket Companies has selected Viral Nation as its first social media agency of record (AOR) following a two-and-a-half-month review, ADWEEK has learned.
The agency will work with the fintech company, which houses mortgage, real estate, and financial services, to pivot its social media messaging from polished ads to more raw storytelling featuring real consumers.
Viral Nation’s first work as Rocket’s social AOR arrived earlier this year during the Super Bowl.
The agency developed a strategic social campaign to accompany the brand’s 60-second ad and accompanying stadium sing-along, which garnered more than 247 million views nationwide and sparked conversations across all of its social media channels, according to Rocket.
“Social was a place where, I don’t know if we had the core competency here to move really quickly,” Peter Giorgi, Rocket’s svp of brand marketing, partnerships, and creative excellence, told ADWEEK. “Part of this was educating us on what great social looks like now versus 10 years ago.”
The review
The review process began at the end of October and wrapped after two and a half months. Five agencies, including Viral Nation, were invited to pitch; however, Rocket declined to name the other agencies involved.
Giorgi said hiring a social media AOR was “the last piece” for Rocket in its new strategy puzzle, which has seen it curate “the best possible team of partners” to assist with the brand’s marketing goals.
Rocket began boosting its agency roster last year, hiring Mirimar as creative AOR in June, and Publicis-owned Zenith as media AOR two months later.
Now with Viral Nation, the brand wants to grow its social media presence, something Giorgi said the brand had a “shallow baseline of activity and understanding” on in the past.
“This is where our audiences are living, and so Viral Nation’s approach to educating us on who the right influencers are, what’s trending and how quickly can we get on top of those trends, how to speak to our audiences…they had great recommendations on how to build this function from the ground up,” he said.
The brand will also use its social media platforms to address misinformation and educate and reassure homebuyers that homeownership is possible in the U.S.
“We’re in that middle ground now where we’re trying to figure out what is the path that allows us to win on social but also is 100% authentic to the creative and where we want to be as an organization,” added Joe Gagliese, co-founder and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Viral Nation.
