PR FIRM SELLING REAL ESTATE COMPANY
By Adnews Staff
GCI Communications of Toronto will test its powers of persuasion on home buyers next month. The public relations agency will launch a campaign for the Toronto-based real estate franchisor Coldwell Banker Affiliates of Canada. The PR push is designed to raise awareness of the growing Coldwell network of almost 4,000 agents across Canada. It will also focus on Coldwell services such as the Home Comparison Price Index covering more than 300 markets in Canada, the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The company's Web site will be promoted as well. The site carries property listings and market information. This marks the first time Coldwell has used a PR agency. Previously the company did the job in-house but Coldwell wanted to build up awareness in Canada and felt a PR agency could do a better job, marketing and advertising director Barbara Zaprzala told Adnews yesterday. GCI was handed the assignment at the end of January because it is a division of Toronto-based Grey Advertising, Coldwell's ad agency. A national ad campaign for Coldwell was launched in January, using print, billboards and TV.