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Vol. 9 - Issue 2
February 26, 2020

 

Encore: Randy Spencer’s Open Mic

Insurance Company Spokespeople That Actually Make Sense

 

 

 

 

Next week [change to month here] the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be in full swing.  Besides the players on the court and fans in the stands, your television will also show lots of team mascots and their shenanigans.  There will be giant heads of every size, shape and stripe.  You’ll see Clemson’s adorable tiger, who looks like Tony the Tiger’s brother.  The Michigan State Spartan will be there, as long as he’s not in court fighting a copyright suit by USC’s Trojan.  Duke’s masked Blue Devil, who is disliked as much as Duke, will also be in attendance.                 

While mascots are usually associated with sports, there are plenty in the insurance world too.  They are probably better called spokespeople, but their purpose is similar.  You know who they are.  Their companies have spent billions of dollars over the years to make sure of it.  I enjoy the characters that some insurance companies have developed over the past few years to promote their brands.  I love the Gecko -- and follow him on Twitter.  Allstate’s Mayhem Man keeps my interest.  I’m a big fan of the Farmer’s Guy and have thought about getting that tweed jacket and vest combination.  And as long as we’re on the subject…. Progressive’s Flo is getting a little long in the tooth.  It’s time for her pension to vest.

But what I find curious about these insurance spokespeople is that they have no connection to insurance.  What does a talking lizard have to do with auto insurance?  Snoopy is the Fonz of dogs, but I don’t think about life insurance when I see him on the Met Life blimp.

Wouldn’t it make more sense for insurers to use characters whose appearance actually have a connection to the insurance policy that they are trying to sell.  Consider these insurance spokespeople that insurers should be using:

Take an insurer trying to sell high level excess policies.  If I saw the Jolly Green Giant I would definitely think to myself – You know, maybe I should buy coverage excess of $50 million. 

And who better to sell the $1 million primary policy in that new $100 million tower?  The Oomph Loompahs of course. 

And what about a spokesperson for car insurance that actually has something to do with cars?  Kitt from Knight Rider can talk and he probably isn’t too busy these days.  Give him something more to do than just sitting around Hoff’s driveway. 

Fire insurance policies?  “Hi there, this is Smokey the Bear for Fire Mutual.  You shouldn’t play with matches, but, if you do….  

If McGruff the Crime Dog told me to buy a fidelity policy I couldn’t sign up fast enough.

Bob the Builder was born to hawk builder’s risk policies. 

If a company can’t sell life insurance with the grim reaper as its spokesman then it should get out of the business.

Traveler’s Insurance – Waldo (of Where’s Waldo fame) should be all over that!

Flood Insurance – So easy.  Noah 

Pet insurance?  Scooby Doo is perfect with all that hijinks he and Shaggy get into.  And you could get him for practically nothing.  He would take payment in Scooby Snacks. 

If Goofy can’t sell professional liability policies, who can? 

If you are trying to sell pollution liability policies there could be no better spokesperson than a guy who has spent his entire life in a trash can.  Get me Oscar the Grouch on the line.                       

 

That’s my time. I’m Randy Spencer. Contact Randy Spencer at

Randy.Spencer@coverageopinions.info
 
 
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