NU Online News Service, April 5, 12:38 p.m.EDT

Independent agents continue to lose personal lines market shareto direct writers, and combating that means conveying to customersthe unique abilities producers bring to the table, says thechairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers ofAmerica.

Mike Miley, client executive for the independent agency Gibsonbased in South Bend, Ind., and chairman of the IIABA, points outthat there is $280 billion in annual premium in the personal linesmarketplace. Independent agents now have 32 percent of that marketbut are losing their share at a rate of 1 percent a year. Thattranslates into a loss of $2.8 billion in premium, which equates to$300 million in lost commissions to independent agents.

“We’re going to try to turn that around with an onlinepresence,” says Miley, referring to a new website, sponsored by theIIABA’s independent agent brand Trusted Choice, aimed at drawingcustomers searching for personal lines insurance to independentagents.

In 2009, 73 percent of consumers purchasing a personal linesproduct started with a search online. They didn’t buy online, justresearched before they went out to buy, he notes.

Many independent agents today simply don’t have the kind ofprofile to put them at the top of the search engine, Miley pointsout. To change that reality, the IIABA plans to push the TrustedChoice brand along with an online program aimed at boostingindependent agents’ profile as a group.

For IIABA members, this means they will be seeing a few changes,Miley says.

Trusted Choice, the IIABA’s independent agent marketingcampaign, has been going for 10 years, and until now it has been avoluntary program. This year, all members of the IIABA will becomemembers of Trusted Choice. In September, the members will receiveupdated marketing materials and there will be a push from stateassociations to “get the word out” about the program.

“We are real excited about this,” Miley says.

The logo of the IIABA will remain because it resonates withinthe industry. However, for consumers it is a symbol of smallmarkets, says Miley. Trusted Choice, on the other hand, underscoresthe two factors in consumers’ minds when making a purchase: trustin the purchase they make, and the ability to choose who they dobusiness with.

“It really demonstrates what we do,” observes Miley.

With that brand, agents will soon see an effective leadsgenerator with the launch of CAP—consumer agent portal, Mileysays.

Still in development, CAP is intended to be a new portal forconsumers searching for personal lines insurance. Its intent istwofold: It will place independent agents further up in the searchengine results, and it will generate customer leads for independentagents, creating a new avenue for expanding their book ofbusiness.

Both agents and their carrier partners will benefit from accessto new customers, but there will be a fee to agents for the leadgeneration, Miley says.

Miley notes that with improvements in search, agents will needto overcome the hurdle of Internet marketing. That means those thatstill have static websites will need to make them more interactive.They will also need to utilize social media, such as Facebook andTwitter, to promote their agency.

CAP is expected to be launched during the fourth quarter of thisyear or first quarter next year, Miley says.