IDealogic® Brand Lab

OVERVIEW

For over twenty years, Freeman has cultivated a reputation for building exceptional relationships with clients by providing employee benefits administration, health insurance plans, risk mitigation, and consulting services for mid-market companies in the South and on the national stage.

Helping brands find their voice and empowering them to compete in a larger market is no easy task. With Freeman, we found inspiration in working with their team to develop strategic sales and marketing processes that comply with the complex nature of their industry, which we infused into the brand itself to create a powerful, enduring, and competitive brand identity.

CHALLENGE

When Freeman came to IDealogic®, the company was experiencing common industry pain points. Though brokerages and agencies are still the dominant insurance sales model, digital distribution and competition from banks and financial advisers are disrupting the industry. Freeman stands out from its competitors by providing the highest quality customer service; but its lack of a brand identity, marketing plan, and brand strategy left the company struggling to gain awareness, generate growth, and increase market share. To stand out in a market controlled by larger companies, Freeman hired IDealogic® for a rebrand that would appeal to its target demographic and position it as a leader in insurance brokerage services.

OUR STRATEGY

The common view of insurance as a grudge purchase is compounded by the rise of direct-to-consumer digital distribution, for which buyers are increasingly adopting in order to alleviate the amount of time and stress it takes to choose and purchase insurance policies. Our primary strategy for rebranding Freeman was to leverage its unparalleled customer service in order to position it as a nurturer and caretaker to its ideal clients.

We started by getting to know Freeman: as a company, its culture, its values, and by the needs of its clients. We discovered that Freeman’s narrative is about much more than insurance. It’s about the change that comes from working with a nurturing company that goes the extra mile. It’s about making a positive impact on an industry that is too often defined as a grudge purchase. Freeman’s story was about liberation from the status quo. To convey the sense of freedom and nurturing that Freeman provides, and to align the company with the desires of its audience, we used the image of an eagle—a long-standing symbol of freedom and peace of mind—and designed the shape of the wings as an ‘F.’

From there, we created a U.S.P.—unique selling proposition—that perfectly demonstrates the value Freeman offers its clients. A high priority at Freeman is providing clients an easy, carefree experience. “We Ensure” combines the brand’s business of insurance with its promise to meet clients’ needs. By reflecting the brand’s guarantee to care for its clients, we successfully captured this valued company attribute and successfully positioned the brand as a caregiver.

As the core of Freeman’s brand processes, we engineered a unified sales process and marketing plan inspired by the company’s deeply held belief that purchasing insurance shouldn’t be a negative experience. Our research into the industry uncovered a hectic, last minute renewal process that all too often leads to significant losses for agencies and brokerages. To alleviate the problems clients face with other brokerage firms, we developed a three-tiered sales process that focuses on mutually beneficial touch points. We designed these “Ensurance Policies” to include monthly check-ins by the account managers and quarterly check-ins from sales staff. These regular touch points raise Freeman’s perceived value to clients and guarantees that their values are aligned throughout the year. When the time for renewal arrives, Freeman’s clients know without a doubt that their sales staff and account managers completely understand their needs, budgetary spend, and business concerns. As a result, renewal has become a seamless process that stems organically from the relationships nurtured throughout the fiscal year.

Our research into consumer opinion revealed some not-so-surprising data: by a majority, “agent” is a considered a bad word. As such, that word wouldn’t communicate the caring, helpful persona we envisioned for Freeman’s sales staff. To combat this, we rebranded their agents to something that better reflected the company’s values: InCredible Service Professionals. The effect was threefold, reflecting the agents’ credibility, professionalism, and incredible service.

Our work in developing a brand strategy that positioned Freeman in the most positive light possible helped the company significantly. Just by augmenting its sales and marketing processes to reflect its values, we were able to provide solutions for problems that plague the industry as a whole.