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.

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Toops Scoops: Tech, Social Media Can Help Agencies Brand Like the Big Guys

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