Message Consistency—More Than Just a Big Idea
By: Bob Mazerov
Too often insurance agents and brokers get lost in the world of branding and advertising. They beat their brains for a message they feel will grab their customers’ attention, motivate them to think about their current coverage and then walk away. After coming up with the “big idea,” they figure their job is done. It’s not.
Local insurance agents are going to lose out, even if they come up with a great idea, if they don’t have the following:
• Consistency in the message itself.
• Consistency of placing messages in front of the consuming audience.
As an advertiser, you must consistently be in front of the consumer when the purchasing impulse strikes. That means consistency in placement. People aren’t always thinking about their insurance, what types of insurance they need or if they need to update/change their current insurance coverage. No amount of advertising will motivate consumers to jump up and buy insurance if they don’t need it. That’s why insurance agents and brokers have to be in front of consumers consistently. Furthermore, conventional wisdom says it generally takes seven to nine impressions before a message is sufficiently “seeded” with the consumers to prompt action. Obviously there are exceptions to that rule, but a one-time shot is unlikely to make enough of an impression to encourage consumers to take action.
Major national advertisers pepper various media with their advertising. Multiple campaigns must reach across multiple media; so you’ll see reinforcing ads on the Internet, billboards, radio, even cell phones. Of course, smaller agencies need to find more frugal ways to inform their audience.
This is not to say advertisers should de-emphasize the consistency of their message in favor of consistency in distribution. Both are important, even for independent insurance agents and brokers who may think they don’t have much of a brand image.
Businesses with a strong brand image also have consistency in their message, so every time the consuming audience sees the advertising, it doesn’t have to ask, “Who is this company?” The consistency of the message becomes a supporter for brand image. Allstate and Liberty Mutual are two insurance companies whose campaigns have resonated with consumers. “You’re in good hands with Allstate,” and “Responsibility. What’s Your Policy,” are slogans quickly identified with the two insurance companies.
The bottom line is that you need a disruptive big idea as your consistent message. And if you don’t have a consistent message, you’re always searching for something to say; if you stand for something, you offer a consistent face to the audience. Presenting a consistent face also encourages those who have seen your message to trust you and remember your name.
Bob Mazerov (www.redtreeresults.com) is co-founder of Denver based Red Tree, a national marketing strategy, advertising and marketing research firm.
Carrier Connection: Western National Mutual Insurance
Western National Mutual’s first company brand slogan was “everything is better with butter.” One hundred and nine years later, the Edina, Minn.-based company, which originally insured 95% of the creameries in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, is no longer in the milk business. It now offers a variety of personal and commercial insurance products and is known to agents and customers as “the relationship company.”
The very first thing Western National Mutual CEO Stuart Henderson did when he set out to re-vamp the company’s brand was to ask employees, “Why would anyone want to do business with us?” That conversation led to the company’s focus on its relationship with agents and customers—and its new tagline.
“We view branding a little broader than most companies,” Henderson says. “A brand is more than logos or colors. It should speak to the company culture.”
Part of Western National Mutual’s culture is its commitment to the community, and Henderson believes volunteerism strengthens the company’s mission statement to “act with integrity in the service of others.” Company employees are given one paid day off to volunteer and Western National Mutual donates 1% of its net income to charity every year.
Western National Mutual serves its independent agents by listening to their requests, so when agents expressed interest in the Trusted Choice® brand, the company decided to join. According to Henderson, Trusted Choice® fits in well with his company’s brand and its core values.
“Don’t be unintentional when branding,” says Henderson. “If you’ve been successful, figure out what has made you successful, and that’s your brand. Build a brand around something you’re already living.”
—Veronica DeVore
Local insurance agents are going to lose out, even if they come up with a great idea, if they don’t have the following:
• Consistency in the message itself.
• Consistency of placing messages in front of the consuming audience.
As an advertiser, you must consistently be in front of the consumer when the purchasing impulse strikes. That means consistency in placement. People aren’t always thinking about their insurance, what types of insurance they need or if they need to update/change their current insurance coverage. No amount of advertising will motivate consumers to jump up and buy insurance if they don’t need it. That’s why insurance agents and brokers have to be in front of consumers consistently. Furthermore, conventional wisdom says it generally takes seven to nine impressions before a message is sufficiently “seeded” with the consumers to prompt action. Obviously there are exceptions to that rule, but a one-time shot is unlikely to make enough of an impression to encourage consumers to take action.
Major national advertisers pepper various media with their advertising. Multiple campaigns must reach across multiple media; so you’ll see reinforcing ads on the Internet, billboards, radio, even cell phones. Of course, smaller agencies need to find more frugal ways to inform their audience.
This is not to say advertisers should de-emphasize the consistency of their message in favor of consistency in distribution. Both are important, even for independent insurance agents and brokers who may think they don’t have much of a brand image.
Businesses with a strong brand image also have consistency in their message, so every time the consuming audience sees the advertising, it doesn’t have to ask, “Who is this company?” The consistency of the message becomes a supporter for brand image. Allstate and Liberty Mutual are two insurance companies whose campaigns have resonated with consumers. “You’re in good hands with Allstate,” and “Responsibility. What’s Your Policy,” are slogans quickly identified with the two insurance companies.
The bottom line is that you need a disruptive big idea as your consistent message. And if you don’t have a consistent message, you’re always searching for something to say; if you stand for something, you offer a consistent face to the audience. Presenting a consistent face also encourages those who have seen your message to trust you and remember your name.
Bob Mazerov (www.redtreeresults.com) is co-founder of Denver based Red Tree, a national marketing strategy, advertising and marketing research firm.
Carrier Connection: Western National Mutual Insurance
Western National Mutual’s first company brand slogan was “everything is better with butter.” One hundred and nine years later, the Edina, Minn.-based company, which originally insured 95% of the creameries in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, is no longer in the milk business. It now offers a variety of personal and commercial insurance products and is known to agents and customers as “the relationship company.”
The very first thing Western National Mutual CEO Stuart Henderson did when he set out to re-vamp the company’s brand was to ask employees, “Why would anyone want to do business with us?” That conversation led to the company’s focus on its relationship with agents and customers—and its new tagline.
“We view branding a little broader than most companies,” Henderson says. “A brand is more than logos or colors. It should speak to the company culture.”
Part of Western National Mutual’s culture is its commitment to the community, and Henderson believes volunteerism strengthens the company’s mission statement to “act with integrity in the service of others.” Company employees are given one paid day off to volunteer and Western National Mutual donates 1% of its net income to charity every year.
Western National Mutual serves its independent agents by listening to their requests, so when agents expressed interest in the Trusted Choice® brand, the company decided to join. According to Henderson, Trusted Choice® fits in well with his company’s brand and its core values.
“Don’t be unintentional when branding,” says Henderson. “If you’ve been successful, figure out what has made you successful, and that’s your brand. Build a brand around something you’re already living.”
—Veronica DeVore
This month’s issue
The March issue is out now!
