Mass. Consumer Affairs Division Taps CC and D to Educate Public

CC and D Communications here has been selected by the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs to develop a campaign to inform residents about the state’s home improvement contractor law.
The shop was tapped following a review in which 12 contenders returned the state’s initial request for response materials. Along with CC and D, four other finalists emerged: McDougall Associates, Peabody, Mass.; and Consulting Associates, Foley Entertainment and The Rendon Group, all in Boston, said client official Kim Hinden MacDonald.
CC and D will handle creative development, media placement and public relations duties, she said.
The four-week, $300,000 effort will debut in mid-October and include TV, radio, outdoor and transit ads as well as direct mail executions.
Enacted in 1992, the law requires contractors to obtain licenses from the state and provides consumers with an avenue of financial redress if inadequate work is performed by licensed vendors. It also grants up to $10,000 in state reimbursement after consumers have won a judgment in court or through arbitration, MacDonald said.
Consumer Affairs decided that a media campaign was needed because “the word hasn’t gotten out about this law,” MacDonald said. “We want this to be preventative. We want consumers to check [with us]” to find out which contractors are licensed and which are not, she added.
The effort is being paid for by the interest that has accrued on the home improvement general fund since the law was enacted.