Progressive Unveils New Brand

Progressive Unveils New Brand

NU Online News Service, Sept. 22, 2:47 p.m. EDT?Progressive group, based in Mayfield Village, Ohio, unveiled a new insurance brand last night with much hoopla in Las Vegas.[@@]

The auto insurer said the brand developed expressly for independent agents and brokers is called Drive Insurance from Progressive. Agents were introduced to it at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a dinner, demonstration stock car race and fireworks.

The scheduled official launch date of Drive Insurance from Progressive is Dec. 10. Progressive will launch a new Drive Web site then and begin to print the Drive logo on agency and customer correspondence and other materials.

Progressive said that the Drive brand will be backed by a print and television ad campaign pushing the message that, "Independent agents and brokers offer expert advice and personal service, choice, low rates, and superior claims service provided by Progressive." The national TV effort will kick off in January 2005.

"Since we began advertising in the early 90s, agents have told us they value our brand building activities, but they've wanted to participate more actively in them," said Bob Williams, agency group president.

Mr. Williams said, "Drive Insurance from Progressive is designed expressly for our independent agents and brokers. It leverages Progressive's brand equity while highlighting the value that independent agents and brokers provide."

The company said that agents and brokers who attended the launch event received a briefing on the brand this morning at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. The company then plans to spread the word to its remaining 30,000 agencies in coming weeks through regional meetings.

Full conversion to Drive is expected to take 12-18 months, as agency signs, Yellow Pages listings and other collateral materials are replaced, the company said.

Progressive companies not offering the Drive brand will continue to sell directly to consumers, by phone and online, through the Progressive Direct brand. The Progressive group is the nation's third-largest auto insurance group based on premiums written.