The Insurance Marketing and Advertising Podcast

IBM's Lynn Kesterson-Townes says the nature and activity of today's insurance prospects and customers are changing rapidly, leaving some insurers with less-effective approaches to marketing and communicating.

Insurers serving the entertainment industry find their efforts work best when they adopt many of the same tactics as their audience: informative presentations and high-impact materials backed by an energetic approach. Broker LeConte ("Count") Moore is managing director of DeWitt Stern's entertainment and media division. Moore is a featured speaker at this year's Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Thurs., Oct. 30 in Jersey City, N.J.

John Greene shares WRIN.tv's growth and experience in video production and underscores the central role video is playing in the insurance marketing tool kit.

Jeff Hughes of Assurant Solutions and Andy Meng of Merkle discuss how insurers are finding new ways to meld in-house, third-party and social information to better identify prospective customers and shape their marketing messages.

The vice president of marketing for Sun Life Financial U.S. Ed Milano talks about the many ways the company reaches out to brokers and consumers including a partnership with the National Basketball Association.

New Jersey Manufacturers' John Hardiman examines the role social media plays in connecting with policyholders, especially during catastrophic events like Hurricane Sandy.

Chip Bacciocco, CEO of Project CAP, talks about the launch of the new TrustedChoice.com website that allows consumers to research insurance topics and get real-time quotes from multiple carriers, along with the need for digital marketing by independent agents.

Tom Morgan and Marc McFarland of Adams & Knight discuss reaching younger consumers where they live and pay attention with a message about disability that resonates.

Leilani Brown, chief marketing officer for Starr Cos, will speak at the 2012 A.M. Best Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit about how her company is creating focused, effective messaging and spreading its wings globally.

Joanna McNamara of Chubb Personal Insurance and Andy Meng of Merkle explain how they help launched a new program to better identify prospects and help agents acquire customers for personal lines business in the latest edition of The Insurance Marketing Podcast. Both are featured speakers at Best's Review magazine's Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for November 7 in Jersey City, N.J.

Matthew Power, chief innovation and strategic relationship officer at Chartis of the Americas, will speak at the 2012 A.M. Best Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit about innovation in insurance.

Ty R. Sagalow, president of Innovation Insurance Group, will speak at the 2012 A.M. Best Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit about what's driving the need for insurance innovation.

Dominick Malgeri of Hygrade Business Group discusses the company's role in providing print solutions to insurance and financial industry.

Brian Casey, a partner at Locke Lord explains why with each new platform, channel and medium, insurers' exposure to marketing and community liability grows.

Bob Evans, Director, Mobile Insurance Solutions, CSC, goes behind the scenes to show how apps are developed, what subjects are good for app efforts, and pitfalls that insurers should avoid.

Christopher Sorgie, corporate vice president of advertising at New York Life explains its "Get in the Game" strategy: looking at the insurer's sponsorship, how and why it chose this venue and what insurance marketers need to know about matching sports marketing to their business.

IBM Distinguished Engineer Jeff Calusinski explains that typical tech meetings with insurers start with three issues: whether to launch mobile applications, the format to use and the channels to launch in.

Jeremy Bowler of J.D. Power and Associates, explores the use of humor in personal auto insurers' brand and advertising campaigns.

Jerry Davies of Farmers Insurance explains how social media is helping agents and carriers communicate during catastrophes.

Martin Hilson explains that advertisers may flirt with broadcast, social media and new channels but insurance marketing remains at heart a B2B communications exercise.

NYCM's Jeremy Robinson and Kilgannon's Ellen Repasky detail the rebranding of NYCM, a mid-sized New-York based auto and home insurer.

Susan Kleinman from comScore, Inc., explores the limits of online insurance advertising.

Ellen Carney, Senior Analyst, eBusiness & Channel Strategy at Forrester Research, discusses how smartphones and tablets are creating new ways for insurers to reach customers and create new business models.

Rick Schlegelmilch, vice president for marketing solutions in the insurance division at Lexis/Nexis Risk Solutions, discusses how marketers can better access data on auto and homeowner coverage to uncover market opportunities and gain insights into how and why current customers are likely to switch or at least consider other coverage.

Alayna Francis, vice president at Swiss Re, on how B2B companies can leverage social media for critical issues.

Kevin McCarthy, Vice President at Risk Metrics Corp., an insurance data and information services company, discusses how marketers can better use data on policies, types of coverage and business trends to better focus their efforts and keep abreast of developments with competitors. Lee McDonald hosts.

Tom Simons, CEO & Chief Creative Officer at PARTNERS+simons, discusses his background in marketing, the agency's approach to advertising and the challenges of marketing insurance and financial services.

Tara Russell, Director of Marketing Communications for Lexington Insurance, explains what it's like to market and communicate on behalf of the U.S.'s largest surplus-lines writer, including how to support new products and initiatives.

Jim Fiske, vice president of Chubb & Son and marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance, explains what it's like to market and communicate on behalf of one of the nation's largest insurers, including in rapidly developing areas such as social media and enthusiast events.

Charlotte Osborne, Director of Marketing for Ironshore, the four-year old insurance company active in several areas of the property/casualty sector, discusses what it's like to help market a high-energy growth-oriented insurer.

Before the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and Insurance Institute of America (AICPCU/IIA) could start their project to reposition and rebrand, they first had to learn exactly where they stood in the minds of students, industry supporters, prospects and their own employees. Getting the research process right meant discovering strengths, but also getting an accurate look at shortcomings, then deciding how to address them. Steve Ryan, director of marketing communication for those groups, will be a featured speaker at the 2010 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Nov. 4.

Steven Schreibman, who helped launch Nationwide's "Life Comes at You Fast" and other high-profile marketing campaigns, urges insurance marketers to leverage the power of viral marketing. Schreibman is a keynote speaker at the Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Shane Boyd and Jennifer Wislocki of Travelers discuss the strategy behind the insurers' sponsorship of a high-profile PGA event. They also explain how Traveler's re-acquisition of its iconic red umbrella logo ties into that effort.

Nancy Carini describes the strategy and execution that Conning & Co. to update its branding message to the insurance industry, the resources required and why branding is not an overnight process.

Most insurance customers renew their policies but more than a third shop for another carrier in the last 12 months. That's because of disappointing service with their current carrier or some other external factor. Jeremy Bowler of J.D. Power and Associates previews his presentation at the 2008 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Nov. 6 in New York City.

Gary Kimball of Kimball Communications explains what insurers and other financial services organizations need to do ahead of crises to make sure that they're the ones controlling the message.

Lee McDonald, Vice President, Communications, A.M. Best Company, opens the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company.

Don Jackson of the Jackson Consulting Group Ltd. Don's presentation, Direct and to the Point, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. His presentation focuses on Insurance direct marketing -- what works, what doesn't and why.

Andra C. Basora, Vice President, Web and Editorial Services, Insurance Information Institute, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. Her presentation focuses on some of the new initiatives the III is making that brings online insurance information to a new level.

Marci DeVries, Vice President, Digital Communications, Imre Communications, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. Her presentation focuses on what marketers need to know about the new media and how to take advantage of fast-changing technologies and formats.

Jay M. Jaffe, President, Actuarial Enterprises Ltd., at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. His presentation examines how marketers need to know more about the financial underpinnings of insurance products so they can market more effectively.

Luis Sahagun, Manager, Emerging Markets Advertising and Marketing, Farmers Insurance Group, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company.

Donna Wares, Senior Manager, Agent Marketing, Hagerty Insurance Agency, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. Her presentation describes how Hagerty is using the independent-agent market to reach core customers.

Steve Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Communications Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. His keynote presentation describes how the P/C industry's fastest-growing top-tier insurance group takes marketing to a new level.

Trish Robinson, Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications and Community Responsibility, MassMutual Financial Group, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. Her presentation describes how MassMutual is taking a surprising approach in some of the most familiar marketing channels.

Siobhan McNulty, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Public Relations and Communications, Old Mutual Financial Network and Rena Kilgannon, Principal, Kilgannon, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. Their presentation describes how the 150-year-old insurer is launching its first marketing assault on U.S. financial markets.

Jon Swallen, Senior Vice President, Research, TNS Media Intelligence, at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York City, sponsored by Best's Review magazine and the A.M. Best Company. His presentation examines what insurers are spending in various marketing channels and how the overall numbers are exploding.

Luis Sahagun, Multi Cultural Ad Manager at Farmers Insurance, explains how it takes more than translating advertisements and commercials to reach diverse markets. Elements such as color, style and focusing on the family vs. individuals are vitally important.

Rena Kilgannon explains how insurer Old Mutual, a major player in the South African and United Kingdom markets, is seeking to build brand awareness in the United States.

Actuary Jay Jaffe describes how insurance marketers can become better contributors to profitability by focusing on the financial underpinnings of insurance products and what kind of marketing outreaches that product can support.

Steve Sullivan, head of communications for Liberty Mutual, discusses the "Responsibility. What's Your Policy?" advertising campaign, which is running on television, print, online and elsewhere. Sullivan is a keynote speaker at the 2007 Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Nov. 8 in New York City.