Commercial lender CIT began a multimillion-dollar marketing initiative this month scheduled to run throughout 2003.
CIT was purchased by Tyco International this year, but bought its way out of the acquisition after the financial scandal involving Tyco's former chairman Dennis Kozlowski.
The goal of the campaign is to be at the top of everyone's mind when the economy turns around, said Janique Helson, senior vice president and account director at Wolf Group, the agency handling the campaign.
“We did research for them before the campaign,” she said, “and we found that people have real short-term memory and were no longer affiliating CIT with Tyco. So in the campaign we did not make any mention of it.”
The effort visually plays off the CIT name by encouraging companies to “c it with CIT” when it comes to seeking lending or leasing solutions for their businesses. CIT works with industry segments including aerospace, small business, home equity lenders and retail.
The campaign started with a 30-second TV spot. The TV ads will run nationally on CNN, CNBC, NBC, ABC and in New York on PBS. Fifteen-second spots begin next year.
Print ads will appear in Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and other business publications. These ads use the headlines “c it grow,” “c it heal” and “c it educate” to show cases or situations in which CIT helped companies and consumers finance their goals.
The print executions will run through 2003. Helson said the number of executions will rise next year.
The print and TV ads will drive people to CIT's Web site for more information.
