– Company is one of only four recognized each year –
Livonia, Mich. – Dec. 11, 2007 – Quicken Loans has received further recognition as a national leader and innovator in online marketing. The nation’s largest online lender earned a Wommie Award from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry, in recognition of its Yahoo! Answers Knowledge Partner Association’s campaign. The Wommie Award, given to just four recipients each year, recognizes best practices in word of mouth marketing campaigns, and the people who create them.
This year more than 50 case studies were submitted for consideration, but Quicken Loans’ study, “How Quicken Loans Became a Yahoo! Answers Knowledge Partner” stands out not only on its own merits, but because it was the only winning entry that was conceived, executed and managed without the aid of an outside public relations agency.
Yahoo! Answers is a community-driven knowledge market Web site that rewards users for posting questions and answers on dozens of subjects. To encourage participation, the site gives members the chance to earn points for asking or answering questions, as well as having their answer chosen as the “Best Answer” by the asking user. It’s the fastest growing area of Yahoo! and is regarded as one of the most innovative social media sites on the Internet.
“This is a huge honor that demonstrates why Quicken Loans continues to be at the forefront of online innovation and PR – especially around search and social media,” says Matt Cardwell, Director of eCommerce Marketing for the nation’s largest online home loan lender. “I’m proud of how our people came up with a solid plan and executed it on a high-level. We are thrilled about winning the Wommie, especially when you take into account the huge amount of creative talent you find in the field of social media.”
Quicken Loans’ experts, under the avatar “Home Loan Guru,” regularly answer questions asked by members of the Yahoo! Answers Community in the “Mortgage” and “Real Estate” categories of Yahoo Answers! The Guru’s answers are recognized among the leaders in those categories in terms of quality and percentage of “Best Answers” chosen by the Yahoo! Answers Community.
In addition to winning the Wommie Award, Quicken Loans accepted an invitation from WOMMA to present its Yahoo! Answers campaign at the association’s national conference in November.
“I was thrilled to see the caliber of work considered this year for the Wommie Awards, particularly when comparing them against last year’s submissions,” said Amanda Van Nuys, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Organic, Inc. and Wommie Awards judge. “Collectively, the case studies clearly demonstrate how word of mouth marketing has grown up over the last few years as it transitions from its adolescence and into a more evolved and disciplined marketing practice.”
WOMMA is committed to building a prosperous word of mouth marketing profession based on best practices, measurable ROI and ethical leadership.
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The Quicken Loans family of companies includes Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender; Rock Financial, the company’s southeast Michigan brand; Title Source, a national title and settlement services company; and One Reverse Mortgage, based in San Diego, Calif.
Quicken Loans, which closed $19 billion in home loans in 2007, originates loans in all 50 states via the Internet from centralized locations in Southeast Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; North Scottsdale, Ariz., and San Diego, Calif. For more information about career opportunities at Quicken Loans, visit QuickenLoansCareers.com. To learn about the company’s unique culture and what sets them apart, visit their blog at WhatsTheDiff.com.