Putting the me in media

FBAA chief executive Peter White says recent comments by regulators and some media stories may cause some consumers to misunderstand the role of brokers, and therefore it is up to the industry to sell its message with greater intensity.

“As an industry body, we have been working hard across the mainstream media for some time, commenting on major issues and ensuring that finance brokers are promoted,” he says.

The association has been working with corporate public relations firm Mercer PR for the past two years, and believes the relationship has generated beneficial media exposure.

Mercer PR principal Lyall Mercer said individual brokers can also be effective in generating positive coverage in the media.

“The more people see brokers giving quality advice, the more confidence they will have in using a finance broker,” he explains.

Mr Mercer says brokers could offer their local media expert opinion when interest rates change or when the subject of finance is already in the news.

FirstPoint Mortgage Brokers’ director, Troy Phillips, agrees that building a profile is important.

“Look at the success of all the John McGraths, John Symonds, Anthony Bells…all of these people in different industries have always built their own profile, so build your own profile. Build it with the community, not your peers, because they are not going to take a loan off  you,” he says.

“A lot of people promote themselves to their competitors, but they don’t promote themselves to their customers. At the end of the day, the borrower is the most important.”