Trusted Choice To Launch May Campaign

By Mark E. Ruquet

NU Online News Service, April 15, 4:05 p.m.EDT?Trusted Choice, the branding campaign aimed ateducating consumers about the value of having an independent agent,is launching a nationwide multi-tiered ad campaign nextmonth.[@@]

May 9 will kick off a program involving national, stateassociation and individual agents promoting Trusted Choice,explained Jeffrey A. Meyers, executive director of the program. Thenow three-year-old independent agent branding campaign was launchedby the Alexandria, Va.-based Independent Insurance Agents &Brokers of America.

For the two weeks in May, over 100 ads will run on nationaltelevision, appearing on Fox News, Turner Network Television, Homeand Garden Network, and the History Channel.

In concert with this effort, seven state associations will dotheir own promotions, using a Trusted Choice advertising seriesdeveloped by the program, Mr. Meyers noted.

"We're getting double bang for the month of May for TrustedChoice," he said.

Working in tandem with the campaign will be independent agentsdoing their own individual promotions utilizing Trusted Choiceadvertising material.

The Trusted Choice branding effort portrays independent agentsas offering choice, value and advocacy for consumers.

The state associations that will be involved in the campaign areNew York, Indiana, Texas, Rhode Island, Kansas, New Hampshire andMissouri. In addition to television advertising, the states willemploy radio and print advertising to promote the brand.

"What we will have is a three-tiered approach to put our messagein front of the consumer on a consistent level," said Mr. Meyers,noting this effort is the first of its kind.

The month of May will also see the release of a consumer surveyon business interruption insurance, which Mr. Meyers said indicateshow little the small-business owner knows about the value of suchcoverage.

Ronald Smith, chairman of Trusted Choice's board of directorsand president of the independent agency Smith, Sawyer & SmithInc., in Rochester, Ind., said another focus of the campaign is toget more of the program's agents to use the advertisingmaterials.

Greater use of the promotion should draw new members, he said.The benefit of a growing agent base, he added, is that the greaterthe membership the more attractive Trusted Choice becomes todrawing company partners. This growth further drives the brand intothe consciousness of consumers.

Mr. Meyers said that in addition to the May campaign, TrustedChoice advertising is slated to run in mid-September. It will alsoappear for the first time in an Internet campaign to run from June13 through August 21.