When Travelers Insurance realized during an internal data search at the end of 2005 that the hybrid car owners they insured tended to show the characteristics of preferred drivers, they knew they had struck a gold mine.
“[Hybrid car owners] had more favorable responsibility characteristics, such as a better driving record,” Travelers corporate communications director Jennifer Wislocki said. “It was a combination of factors.”
It was then that Travelers decided to offer their hybrid customers an insurance offer of 10 percent off their policy. “The whole idea behind offering the 10 percent off is because Travelers prides itself on watching new trends and creating insurance products that meet those evolving needs,” Wislocki said.
To spread the word about the new discounted insurance, Travelers hired Imre Communications, a Towson-based marketing firm with offices in Washington, to develop a national campaign that included public relations, Web site design and promotional events. “We knew with the launch of this that it was going to be a challenge to get the word out nationwide, so it was crucial to have the resources to do that,” Wislocki said. “[Imre Communications] did it really successfully.”
Since the campaign?s launch in February, Travelers has doubled the number of hybrid car owners that it insures, according to Wislocki.
Dave Imre, president and CEO of Imre Communications, said the campaign targets young and hip hybrid owners through an out-of-the-box approach. “We want people who are in auto showrooms to realize that if they buy the hybrid, while they may pay a few more dollars now, down the road they will have savings in gas and insurance,” he said. “We want them to enter that into the equation.”
Imre added that part of the campaign included the first annual Hybrid Fest, which took place in July. “[Imre] definitely made sure they did the research to understand the hybrid car owner audience,” Wislocki said, adding that Travelers has been encouraged by traffic to the Web site.
CONTACT THE AGENCY
» Imre Communications
305 Washington Ave., Baltimore
» 410-821-8220
» www.imrecommunications.com
