Coke, Apple, Domino's Pizza and United Airlines. For better or worse, these corporate names have achieved brand recognition that make them virtually synonymous with the products they sell.

Can a humble independent agency ever hope to achieve that sort of fame — or to compete with the geckos and cavemen with their billion-dollar ad budgets and legions of marketing people? The good news is that while you may not achieve the fame of the big guys, today's technology can help you give them a serious run for the money.

That was the underlying message at Aartrijk Brand Camp 2012, a day-and-a-half immersion in all things brand. Hosted by Peter van Aartrijk and global branding guru Tony Wessling, the event featured in-depth discussions of the various components of a brand, a rapid-fire presentation by eight insurance agency marketing pros, a discussion of the evolution of the agency workplace, a panel discussion on what makes a great video, and a fun ”name that tune” brand discussion hosted by American Agent & Broker's own Chris Amrhein.

Here are some of the takeaways I got from the event:

Brands are living things, complete with heart, brains, skin and the “naughty bits.” Like the overall health of your body, an authentic brand comes from the inside out and requires a healthy heart (bonding with the customer), guts (the intestinal fortitude to make needed changes), brains (analytical and emotional engagement) and more.
“We provide service” isn't a differentiator. Providing service is a given. Today's consumers want trust, quality, education and time, and smart businesses are providing all of these and incorporating them into the brand, said Pete van Aartrijk.
We've already moved “beyond online.” The convergence of mobile technology, cloud computing and social media has created a “golden triangle” for the connected consumer that has moved transactions far beyond merely an online experience, said tech consultant Rick Morgan. Agencies must use these outlets as a two-way street to promote brand and communicate with customers.
“Consumerization” is the new business driver. Previous technological revolutions started with tools designed for business: the fax machine, computer and mobile phone. Today's social media revolution began with the consumer and is just now being understood by business. Successful agencies are allowing employees to use the technology they want to use and turning them loose as a part of the branding process — “your employees are your RSS feed,” according to Jason Cass, head of a one-man agency in southern Illinois and current president of Big I's young agent group.
Individuals need to build a personal brand. In today's rapidly shifting business world, don't overlook your personal brand. Develop a brand statement for yourself that focuses on who you are, what you do (your core competency), how you do it (with differentiating adjectives), and what you will do for your clients, said Robert Paul, vice president of Project CAP.
Video should be part of your marketing mix. In 2010, 30 percent of Internet traffic was viewing video, with 77 percent of U.S. adults watching online video at least once a month. And the trend is going mobile, with YouTube video views from mobile devices tripling in 2011. Although professionally produced videos start at around $3,000, don't let that stop you: Chris Paradiso, an agent in Stafford Springs, Ct., regularly populates YouTube with fun, creative videos featuring his employees, tied to events like Mothers' Day and Veterans' Day. The cost? About $20 per pop.
The independent insurance agency of the near future will be multi-cultural and -generational. The current age span of insurance industry employees is 23 to 73. By 2030 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older. By 2030, 82 percent of young population growth will come from new immigrants. These trends are already producing a more mobile workforce that is focused less on productive and more on creative output, said Sharon Emek of WAHVE.

Brand Camp is an insurance industry event like no other. The level of sharing and interaction between the presenters and the attendees is remarkable, the atmosphere casual and fun, and the people are hands-on experts in their fields. The emphasis is on sharing ideas that work in an open, non-competitive environment.

I had the pleasure of spending time with Jason Cass, winner of the 2012 Brand Camp “Agent of the Year” award, who's also been profiled in our nGI Q&A column; and Chris Paradiso, founder of Paradiso Insurance and the guy behind the creative YouTube videos. While they're both passionate about their insurance careers, they're also as far from what the consumer would think of as “insurance guys” as you can get.

Which leads me to the single word that kept going through my mind over the course of the Camp: authenticity.

Technology and social media have freed us to be more of ourselves to the world at large, and that has permeated into our business personas as well. Chris Paradiso uses Pinterest not as a platform for flogging insurance policies, but to share his personal passion for triathlons and the New York Yankees — and if some of his connections bring him business, so much the better. He's an insurance agent, but he's also himself.

In days gone by, brand was a top-down process, with marketing mavens coming up with taglines like “Fly the Friendly Skies.” Unfortunately, if the brand isn't authentic — built from the inside out — the jarring disconnect between the brand ideal and the frontline reality will make a mockery of it.

In today's consumer-driven universe, grandiose branding claims without the proof to back them up can only come back to haunt us. Better to conduct the painful soul-searching that will ultimately help us find out who we really are, what we really do well, and how we can use that skill to help the customer; to find our own authenticity, let our employees find theirs, and communicate that reality as our brand.

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