Branding is a major marketing tactic in the insurance industry. Extensive advertising and expansive marketing budgets are the norms among major insurers, as are staple company slogans and rarely-evolving logos — key elements that secure brand identities.

Creating a successful brand doesn't happen overnight. There are a number of factors at hand, many of which involve years of work, whether active or inactive.

As CEO of Aartrijk, a marketing and communications firm serving insurance organizations, Peter Van Aartrijk and his team provide clients with market research, strategy development, publicity, marketing and communications, social networking, editorial and web content, brand identity design and more. A communications strategist and branding expert, Aartrijk is co-author of a book entitled "The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand."