STATE OF PLAY
At a pivotal moment in the national housing affordability debate, a major credit bureau faced a growing policy threat: lobbying efforts from opposition groups to move away from the established tri-merge credit reporting system.
Well-funded groups were actively shaping the narrative in Washington, arguing that an alternative single-score model would reduce costs and improve efficiency. These claims gained traction among the media, policymakers, regulators, and influential stakeholders, despite limited public understanding of how credit scoring models affect access to homeownership. The credit bureau needed to quickly reframe the debate around fairness, accuracy, and affordability – while building credible third-party validation to influence policymakers at the highest levels.
ACTION
To shift the conversation, Narrative launched a comprehensive, multi-pronged public affairs campaign – combining messaging research, third-party advocacy, advertising, and strategic communications. The campaign was anchored by a leading conservative third-party group, which brought an authentic voice to the issue when amplifying key messages, ensuring resonance with target policymakers.
IMPACT
Throughout the campaign, supportive messaging outpaced opposition by roughly three to one. As a result, the campaign successfully reshaped the policy conversation by elevating a dominant, pro-consumer narrative focused on maintaining credit reporting standards and housing affordability. The campaign secured more than 25 media placements, earned an endorsement from a primary presidential pollster, generated millions of impressions, and drove traffic to a centralized campaign website.
In June 2026, approximately six months after the campaign began, the Federal Housing Administration announced it would continue to require tri-merge credit reporting.
.png?width=350&name=Case%20Study%20Thumbnails%20(1).png "Multi-Pronged Public Affairs Campaign to Maintain Housing Affordability")
