A multi-million-dollar national television advertising campaign touting the benefits of using an independent insurance agent will be launched next month, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America announced.

The marketing effort, a branding initiative titled Trusted Choice, is scheduled to take to the airwaves from Sept. 12 to Sept. 25 on behalf of more than 5,100 participating agencies and branch locations.

Alexandria, Va.-based IIABA said the ads will air on ESPN, Fox News, Turner Network Television, The History Channel and Home & Garden Television. A total of 57 spots are to air during some top rated cable shows including "SportsCenter" and Major League Baseball on ESPN; "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News; primetime on TNT and HGTV, and The History Channel's "Modern Marvels."

This is the third Trusted Choice national ad campaign airing this year, complementing earlier ones in March and May.

"Each program the spots will appear on has been carefully selected to ensure that we achieve maximum reach in the Trusted Choice target audience," said a statement from Ronald A. Smith, president of Smith, Sawyer & Smith, Inc., a Rochester, Ind.-based Trusted Choice agency, and chairman of the brand program's board of directors.

Jeffrey A. Myers, Trusted Choice executive director, said that while the program allocates the same percentage of dollars it has in the past, it is today a multi-million dollar ad campaign made more effective by the participation of state associations and local agents running their own spots locally.

Trusted Choice has set-up a $500,000 state grant program to help state associations finance their own ad placements, he said. He urged agents to run their own local tie-in ad campaigns to coincide with the national program.

"Keep your message in front of consumers," advised Mr. Myers. "The problem with the insurance industry is that there is no, one, hot season of activity for the sales of new policies. You have to keep your message consistently out there in front of consumers, and the only way to do that is to spread your advertising throughout the year."

The ads for TV and radio for agents to place their own tag line onto the end, can be previewed and ordered at www.TrustedChoice.com through the Agents/Brokers area and then clicking on "Advertising." Print ads can be previewed and downloaded directly from this section, IIABA said.

Mr. Myers advised individual agents placing their ads in local markets to negotiate ad placement rates, which can vary substantially by region. He noted that cable is the most affordable advertising market, but agents should avoid late night spots.

"Do not accept the first offer; get the best deal you can," he said.

Mr. Myers said agents that are not participating "are missing out on a great opportunity to build local awareness with consumers of their business. I encourage them to take a good, hard look at Trusted Choice."

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Independent Agents Set Big $$ TV Ad Campaign

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