It's a fallacy that in times of economic turmoil, nobody is buying so there's little need for marketing. Life does not stop just because of a poor economy; people's lives and circumstances continually change, and these changes affect insurance needs. By marketing and keeping your name in front of the public, you put yourself in a prime position to be the agency people call upon when it's time to revisit insurance requirements.

Here's another thought: Tough times financially mean that more people are looking for ways to save money. People might well look to re-evaluate their insurance needs. True, some already have a good relationship with an agency. However, there are many others who don't, and are in need of someone to review their current coverage and suggest new avenues for them. Wouldn't you like to be that agency? But if people don't know that you are out there, that will never happen.

“Economic downturns are ideal times for agencies to reinforce their brand and differentiate themselves from others,” Donohue said. “A less cluttered marketplace means that there's that much more room for your message.”

But what message should you be trying to send?

Marketing messages

Marketing is much more than just placing an occasional newspaper ad or running an ad in the telephone book. Marketing means a coordinated effort to tie together all of the activities that you do to place your company's name in front of the public.

For that reason, it is a wise idea to have a marketing plan, with specific goals that guide all of your company's marketing efforts.

A marketing plan helps guarantee the consistency of your message. It ensures that all of your ads, brochures and all other public information tools are speaking in the same voice. It guarantees that all of your marketing efforts are pointed toward specific achievements and results, rather than just tossing things out into the marketplace and hoping that someone will notice.

A marketing plan needs to be reviewed periodically to ensure that it still reflects the objectives of the company. Think of the plan as a living document that changes to reflect changing circumstances. At our agency, a regular review of this plan has enabled us to update it to reflect current marketplace conditions while identifying both internal and external factors that could impact our ability to meet our agency's short-term and long-range goals.

One thing that never changes, however, is our agency's commitment to the philosophy of customer communications.

Communication is key

There are few things more important to your marketing efforts than customer communications. Our agency has always been very proactive in this regard. When the economic downturn began, this effort became even more focused.

“It's critical that your customers know that you care about them and have their best interests at heart, not just at policy renewal time but all year round,” said Jeffrey R. Wyrsch, vice president of The Van Dyk Group's personal lines division. “Reaching out to them requires effort but can reap enormous benefits.”

Some of the things we do to reach out to our customers:

o Send a postcard or letter two months before their policies are due for renewal

o Send electronic customer communications, bringing customers up-to-date on activities in both the industry in general and in our offices

o Offer a free policy review at any time to determine if existing coverage should be increased or decreased

o Call each and every customer at least once a year. The script might vary depending on the person and the circumstance, but the underlying message is always the same: We are here to help.

“Nothing has yet replaced the personal touch of picking up the telephone and calling people,” Wyrsch said. “E-mail and electronic communications can be extremely effective when used properly and certainly have their place in our marketing effort, but the simple one-on-one contact that a telephone call provides cannot be duplicated.”

The heightened emphasis on customer communications has provided us with numerous benefits, including increases in policy retention, sales and cross-selling. Within our agency, we have instituted reward contests for both rewrites and cross-selling, which have boosted employee morale and helped us to meet our department's goals.

It all begins with you

A marketing campaign does not have to be expensive. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars to hire a marketing firm.

A simple press release is an often overlooked form of marketing. These can be produced inexpensively in-house, and the return value can be enormous.

Subjects for press releases can run from occurrences in the insurance industry in general to new hires, promotions, seminars offered or attended by employees, and more. These can be routinely sent to newspapers, business publications and others in the media, along with a digital photo of the subject. It is true that print publications have lost circulation and profits because of electronic media. However, because print publications have had to lay off beat reporters to make ends meet, they are more dependent than ever on “free” information–the stories that are provided for them.

In addition, the local Chambers of Commerce and other groups often produce their own magazines and newsletters. They rely on information they receive to fill their pages. Sometimes they will even turn to you to provide articles or inserts.

For these reasons, you should maintain a media list. Get to know the editors, reporters and others who cover business topics–and in particular, your community–on a regular basis. There is a constant need for expert sources who they can go to for a quote or an explanation of some industry issue. If you have a prior relationship with an editor or reporter, more often than not they will turn to your company again and again, and you have gained free publicity.

Co-op advertising is another source of inexpensive marketing materials. Many carriers offer co-op brochures that agencies can put their name and logo on. The Van Dyk Group uses brochures from such carriers as Selective Insurance, Travelers, Cumberland and the Trusted Choice Program. Even in this economy many companies still have marketing co-op dollars available for a special marketing project. Checking with them and seeing what is available can only increase your marketing program.

Another source for co-op dollars that is sometimes overlooked is your state agent association. We recently participated in the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New Jersey co-op marketing program promoting the Trusted Choice brand.

Finally, there is another marketing effort in this economy that is often-overlooked: You. You and a positive attitude are the best possible marketers for your company.

“We call this attitude positivity,” said David Wyrsch, president of The Van Dyk Group. “It simply means being upbeat, energetic and positive in your everyday dealings with others. People sometimes forget how important they are to the success of a company. This attitude is as important as any marketing program, because people will long remember a pleasant and optimistic attitude and seek out those who exhibit it.”