executive summaryAuto-Owners Insurance Agency has a long history of great service to its customers. In service since 1916, Auto-Owners has held true to many important core values. The values include: honesty, hard work, loyalty, prudence, relationships, the team, profit, stability and consistency . These are important core values that every American should hold.

Many would consider these values conservative and possibly out of touch with today’s younger generations; however, it’s important to realize that these younger generations also hold many similar core values. It is of the essence to capture this younger market, we believe that once they are exposed to Auto-Owner’s outstanding services, it will lead to a lifelong relationship.

The advertising efforts of JAWMAT will reflect the above statements. Our advertising will primarily focus on persons aged 22-30. In order to tap into this younger market, it is important to move towards less conservative forms of advertising.

We believe that our campaign will do just that.

company & consumer analysisAuto-Owners Insurance has been known for being one of the top companies in the insurance industry for years. They have successfully hit their target market on several occasions with their marketing strategy leading to an increase in sales.

Although, after the last five to six years, Auto-Owners has lost their footing with their marketing strategies and advertising campaigns while other insurance companies have had much success with their advertising. When asking a consumer to name three insurance agencies off the top of their head, more time than not Auto-Owners will not be in that top three.

This is caused by an inefficient marketing strategy with addition their competitors have successfully put together respectable advertising campaigns. Auto-Owners Insurance came to Northwood University for assistance and guidance in their marketing department. The class chosen to work on their campaign was then divided up into groups. Our group, Team JAWMAT, has researched your company and the competition. We believe with the data we have gathered, Auto-Owners can and will be the most well known insurance companies in the world, even more so than now.

market analysisThe market for insurance is wide and very broad. Team JAWMAT believes that Auto-Owners can maintain their traditional and fundamental advertising sense while still exploring new markets with a more creative way. We believe that Auto-Owners Insurance’s target market should be Generation Y, men and women born 1977-1994.

We feel this is an untapped market, with the most potential. Although Auto-Owners has found success with older generations, we believe that Auto-Owners could have equal success with Generation Y. Targeting young adults just getting out of high school, graduating college, and this age group as a whole, we feel that not only will Auto-Owners be able to hit an untapped market, but will also have other advantages.

The main advantage is to attract young adult graduates from college who will be looking to buy insurance of some sort, whether for their car or their house. If Auto-Owners captures this individual, than not only can they maintain them as a customer for auto insurance, but also maintain them for future insurance needs. They would become life-long customers.

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target marketdemographics & psychographics

Generation Y is made up of more that 70 million men and women in the United States born between the years 1977 and 1994 and make up over 20% of the population. By the year 2012 they will have filled the 18-34 demographic age group. 11% of high school students alone have a credit card that is co-signed by a parent, while 40% of teenagers maintain a part time job with an average of at least $100 of disposable income per week.

Generation Y is being raised in the age of the active parent. Parents of this generation spend more time with their children than any other generation. Because of this, they are very hands on and do not leave children to make key decisions on their own in areas such as planning achievements, taking part in activities, and show strong belief in the child’s worth. Today, over half of the families with children in this generation eat dinner together all seven days a week. With all of this Generation Y has the belief that they can and will accomplish almost anything, and if they can’t they can always go back home for help and support.

Generation Y has a strong sense of entitlement. Growing up in households of active parents and the strong media messages, they are told that they can have it all. They will strive for the quality of life of the rich and famous. They want the best and think they deserve it which gives them high expectations, but also driven and ambitious.

An estimated 75% to 90% of Generation Y has a computer at home with more than 50% having internet access. Much of the time spent online is for entertainment purposes. These technological advances have given Generation Y a unlimited number of choices, so they know that if they can’t what they want from one source, they can immediately find another.

Generation Y is the definition of the melting pot with one out of every three a different ethnicity than Caucasian. Many are also openly homosexual. One out of four of this generation comes from a single parent household. This makes them very tolerant of the diversity that they are surrounded with, making it acceptable if not the norm to interact with different cultures and ethnicities.

Generation Y can be characterized many different ways. They are often called impatient due to the fact that they have been raised in a world that is dominated by technology, giving them what they want in an instant, which can make them feel crunched for time and always be in a hurry. They are also very skeptical of the world they live in. This is caused by media figures being involved numerous scandals. They have also been characterized as expressive because they want to make their point even if self control is taken over by self expression. They are also driven by the image they portray and will often make personal statements this way. They are also inexperienced; they have not seen it all and have not done it all, but they are not afraid to ask questions.

Good things about Generation Y is that they are very adaptable, technologically savvy, able to grasp new concepts, efficient multitaskers, and very tolerant. Due to ever changing technology they are able to adapt and be comfortable in a multitude of situations, and they will use their ability to learn to help them adapt. They have great direction and they know what they want.

Generation Y is one of the most educated segments. Going to college is the norm today with 64% of women and 60% of men going to college after graduating high school. The hard work of college transfers in to their careers because they expect that they will have to work. They do not plan on being at the same location for an extended period of time, but they want to be at the top of the company right away, and are willing to work hard to get there by doing better and faster work than co-workers, because competitiveness is in their nature.

marketing to generation YWhether it is a business or personal relationship, Generation Y views honesty, integrity, and generosity as the foundation of a good relationship. They are smart and they expect to be given the best, as well as give it. Generation Y is very peer focused, so the value the opinions of others their own age, as well as their parents where they gained their traditional values.

Other characteristics of Generation Y include: Philanthropic: Give their time, service, and money Socially Conscious: Believe in giving and helping others Perceptive and Easily Disillusioned: Dishonesty sends them running and causes distrust that is not forgotten To market to Generation Y we need to first appeal to not only the young, but also to their parents, so products need to be practical and affordable. Second, giveaways and promotions are very popular among this age group. They get excited about the possibility of winning something for free. Third, you have to go where they are. Where they spend time, even its online or at the mall, you need to grab their attention where they are. Fourth, you need to remember to market to their uniqueness. They have a certain purchasing process and rely on their parents and peers for recommendations, you can use them to convince them to buy. Fifth, you have to speak to them as intelligent adults and deliver outstanding service; even though they may be young they are still very intelligent.

jeffery scott, president of integrated account services at campbell-ewald suggests:

• They are going to be exposed to your communications through their parents, and you have a tremendous opportunity to connect with them• They have high ideals and want to do something important, they want to stand for something, they believe in the power of collective action, and want you to do the right thing as a company• They are patriotic, 68% said they would be willing to make personal sacrifices for the country-They value education, love the notion of education and want the best and the most education, you can use this to feed them information and help them feel smarter about the decisions they are making, but you can’t lie to them because they are adept researchers.• Have a strong moral compass, they admire honesty and integrity and they want total integrity. If you stand for something against what they believe, or what they perceive as phony, they won’t buy.• They are incredibly optimistic; they believe that they can have it all and that everything is possible. The world is not win or lose nor a zero sum game to them. Proceed with full optimism and not doom and gloom.• They are determined to get where they are going fast and will not wait around. They have high expectations and think they will get them fast, you need to play in to their need for speed.• They are absolutely color blind and embrace diversity, they want to see their world through your advertising.• They know they are being marketed to. They are the most media saturated market. They want you to know they know and that they don’t mind, and they are not bothered by the media that surround popular culture. You have to be totally transparent and be honest that you are selling them something. Do not pretend to be part of their group by using jargon and attitude.• They are kids, not miniature adults. You have to have fun and really entertain them; DON’T BE DULL.

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insurance facts and statistics for generation Y

• 7% more likely than the average adult to purchase health insurance and 8% more likely to purchase dental insurance without the use of an agent.• 44% would consider purchasing long term insurance, 13% more than the average adult• 46% consider hospital insurance for emergency cash when hospitalized for outpatient surgery, 16% more than the average adult• 14% are inclined to purchase insurance for their pets, 7% more than the average adult• 50% would consider purchasing health or dental insurance from the internet, phone, or direct mail instead of their agent• 32% of Generation Y and 28% of adults with household income between $50,000 and $75,000 would consider other financial products or services from an insurance company

effectiveness of insurance direct mail and other statistics

• 26% of adults with household incomes of $50,000 to $75,000 reported that they read insurance direct mail in 2003, reflecting an 11% increase from adults surveyed in 2002. • 70% of adults surveyed indicated that they are more likely to open insurance direct mail if their name is on the front . • Timing, an interesting looking package, one that conveys a sense of importance, and special offers or discounts prompt over 50% of adults to open insurance direct mail. Weekly direct mail readership has increased six percent from 2002 to 2003 among adults with household incomes of $75,000 or higher. • 35% of adults with household incomes of $75,000 or higher felt that a knowledgeable agent was the most important service provided by an insurance company. • 20% of adults felt that 24-hour accessibility is most important. • 19% of adults indicated that prompt claim payments were the most important service while 16% felt that courteous customer service was the highest priority. • Only three percent of adults felt that online accessibility was the most important service.

creativefacebook

what is facebook?

Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

Facebook is made up of many networks, each based around a company, region, or school. Join the networks that reflect your real-life communities to learn more about the people who work, live, or study around you.

Facebook’s Platform enables anyone, anywhere, to build complete applications that you can choose to use. The possibilities are endless. Define your experience on Facebook by choosing applications that are useful and relevant to your world.

business solutions with facebook:

establish an interactive presence on facebook:Every Facebook Page is a unique experience where users can become more deeply connected with your business or brand. Users can express their support by adding themselves as a fan, writing on your Wall, uploading photos, and joining other fans in discussion groups. You can send updates to your fans regularly — or just with special news or offers. Add applications to your Page and engage your users with videos, reviews, flash content, and more. Creating a Facebook Page is easy, free, and great for all types of businesses.

your fans love you, and their friends will know it:When your fans interact with your Facebook Page, the actions they take are automatically generated into social stories. These stories are published to News Feed, which friends may see the next time they log into Facebook. The stories link back to your Facebook Page, inviting more people to interact with it, which generates more social stories and drives even more traffic to your Page. Think of it as word-of-mouth marketing, only completely free and happening online.

get even more distribution with facebook social ads:You can increase the viral distribution of your Facebook Page with Facebook Social Ads. Create an ad creative and attach it to stories in News Feed or in the left-hand Ad Space. Social Ads increase the number of friends who will see the story when they visit Facebook, and you can also target the ads to specific demographics. Create a Facebook Page and get started with Facebook Social Ads.

measureablesget meaningful statistics:Get valuable metrics about your presence and promotion on Facebook. With Facebook Insights, you have access to data on activity, fan demographics, ad performance, and trends. With this information, you are better equipped to improve your custom content on Facebook and adjust your ad targeting. Facebook Insights is a free service for all Facebook Pages and Social Ads.

rely on authentic demographic data:Facebook’s robust database of authentic demographic information provides you with a deep understanding of exactly who is engaging with your business and how. From the performance of your social ads to the viral distribution rate of stories about your business, Facebook Insights helps you learn more about your target audience.

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make informed decisions:Facebook Insights provides the necessary information to improve the content of your Facebook Pages and the performance of your Social Ads. Refine your Social Ad target demographics, budgets and creatives based on Insights data to increase traffic to your Facebook Page or website. Use the data to adjust the content of your Page and optimize for increased engagement with your customers and fans.

Our Plan:

Create a Facebook page for Auto-Owner’s insurance. Through this page, customers and potential customers will be able to add Auto-Owner’s insurance to their friends list. Doing this will allow them to view Auto-Owner’s information, what they stand for, types of services offered, customer comments, and a direct link to Auto-Owners website where they can find an agent closest to them.

To attract people to the Facebook page, we plan to launch a guerilla marketing campaign. This campaign will entail a contest for college students to post pictures and videos of their personal car accidents or car accidents that they have witnessed. At the end of a designated time period, Auto-Owner’s employees, independent agents, and Facebook users will have the opportunity to evaluate and judge each picture and video and a prize would be awarded to the best, or worst, picture or video. Prizes could include useful items for college students such as scholarships, bookstore vouchers, computers and accessories, or dorm room accessories.

Why?

75% to 90% of our target market has a computer at home with more than 50% having internet access. Much of the time spent online is used for entertainment purposes and social networking sites such as Facebook are the most popular entertainment sites visited by our target market. Giveaways and promotions are very popular among our target market; they get excited about winning something for free.

Being where they are is required for reaching this target market, and grabbing their attention through Facebook will put us ahead of the pack.

Marketing to their uniqueness is required to reach this target market. They rely on their peers for recommendations.

Since Facebook users will have to add Auto-Owner’s to their friend’s page, Auto-Owners and agents will have direct access to their personal page and will be able to target potential customers in their area for an extremely personalized campaign.

event marketinggraduation fairs

A graduation fair is a time when all college seniors gather to learn about what is required of them for graduation. A variety of vendors attend these events. Some vendors include photographers, banks, student loan consolidators, career services, and campus bookstores.

Most, if not all, college seniors attend these fairs. This is an excellent time to reach our target market. Since attendees will be finishing college, graduating, and potentially moving on to careers, they will be considering purchasing automobiles and homes and possibly starting families. This is a perfect time to get them thinking about purchasing insurance for their new futures.

We designed the first brochure for an event such as this. The brochure is very simple, but functions as a way to gather information. The last page with the Auto-Owners logo on one side and the personal survey on the reverse will be used to gather information about prospective clients. The survey will be attached with a perforated edge and will be removed and the remainder of the brochure will be kept by the individual. The brochure sample that we currently have is designed for a Midland, Michigan agent of Auto-Owners, called Ieuters. The design is completely editable to format an agency’s logo across the top.

As an incentive for filling out this personal survey, we have created USB 2.0, flash drives to give away. The company that we found for the cheapest and widest variety of styles and functions of USB 2.0 drives was IPromo. These flash drives are fairly inexpensive compared to the relative costs of acquiring a new prospect. When ordered in bulk, the total costs decreases significantly.

Using the Auto-Owners logo, we created an example of what the graphic would look like. This is just a rough sample and the white box around the logo would not be visible, just the blue oval and the contents inside.

We chose USB 2.0 drives for a promotional tool because nearly all of our target market uses computers. For college students and anyone who needs to transfer information, these little tools go everywhere with the person and are used almost daily. Having this promotional tool on their person and being used on a regular basis will be a constant reminder of Auto-Owners insurance.

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brochure side 1

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brochure side 2

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outdoorbillboards

It is important to note that all photographs are stock photographs and all rights are reserved to the creator of these stock photographs. Team JAWMAT is using these images for illustrative and educational examples.

mug shot billboard

The, “Mug Shot Billboard,” is the first billboard that we designed. We designed this billboard to be transferable to any particular agency, but we used MCI Insurance as an example.

Around the outside of the billboard are pictures of the employees at this agency. These pictures will extend outside the basic billboard frame and will be individually cut out to make the billboard more visually appealing and eye catching to the viewer. It also shows a friendlier, real life example of the agents that they will be working with.

Inside the billboard frame we used the slogan, “Your Local ‘No Problem People.’” This slogan encompasses Auto-Owners personal slogan, and uses the local appeal for the agency. We also incorporated the individual’s agency logo, along with Auto-Owners. The background is a blue to white fade. The blue that we chose is a lighter hue than the standard Auto-Owners blue. We decided to use this hue so that we do not interfere with Auto-Owners logo. This fade is used in all of our billboard advertisements to maintain continuity.

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oops billboard

The second billboard we created is named, “Oops.” This billboard is designed to promote the independent agency and Auto-Owners. We used Ieuters Insurance for this particular example.

For this billboard we designated the left side for the independent agent. We used the slogans, “Car Accident? and Need Insurance?,” for this advertisement to state the obvious graphic on the billboard of the car crashing. The text is positioned so that it looks as though the car is actually crashing in to it.

The right side of the billboard we designated for Auto-Owners. We used to the tagline, “Oops,” to illustrate the humor in what a serious accident this truly is. Generally someone would say something a little more severe if they crashed in to the top of a billboard, but with Auto-Owners it is no problem.

The actual graphic of the car extends beyond the frame of the billboard. It will stick out slightly to have the same effect of the Mug Shot billboard.

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marilyn monroe billboard

The third billboard we created is named, “Marilyn Monroe.” This particular billboard was designed particularly to promote Auto-Owners, not an independent agent.

To catch viewer’s attention we used the sexual appeal of a young woman. She is put in an awkward predicament of having her skirt blowing up in the wind, much like the famous Marilyn Monroe photograph where she is stand over the sewer grate and she is holding her dress down. The way this billboard is designed is to incorporate an actual fabric that will blow in the wind outside. The fabric will be fastened to the billboard in the places that are visible on the photograph. We will not be editing the photograph underneath so it maintains its decency.

We feel that this will appeal to not only our target market but any viewer. We do not feel that it will be offensive because there will not actually be anything underneath the fabric skirt. We feel the female demographic will not be offended by this billboard, but be able to relate because they may have had a similar experience and know that they should be covered.

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building advertisements

The next series of advertisements that we designed are for adhering to the sides of walls in major parking areas such as large parking lots or parking garages. They can also be used to simulate a car accident in the corner of a wall.

In parking lots the graphic will adhere to the wall directly behind a parking space. The crashed car will appear on the wall with a dark shadow behind it to give it a three-dimensional appearance. This will make it look as though an actual collision has occurred between the graphic and the car that is parked in the designated space. This type of advertisement will catch the viewer’s attention, especially the person whose car is parked near it.

To accompany the crashed car will be an adhesive graphic of the Auto-Owners logo and the independent insurance agency that chooses to use this graphic.

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televisionThe title of our television advertisement is, “The Window of Shame.” We created this television advertisement to have a more youth focused approach, but it is not to say that the advertisement won’t appeal to other demographics.

We tell a story with this advertisement. It describes what a typical meeting with an insurance salesman might be like and shows how a customer might be treated. The main antagonist in this advertisement is Greg, who runs the insurance agency and Jack is the protagonist in this story, who is talking to Greg. The story progresses as Greg is trying to convince Jack to switch to his agency. We use a taste of humor and how Greg’s agency doesn’t have problems because they just ignore their customers. The story finishes with an ashamed Greg that has to validate parking. The final cell is left for the independent agency to customize for themselves.

Cell 1INT: Greg’s officeGreg runs an insurance agency with a do whatever it takes mentality. Greg is trying to talk Jack into switching to his insurance agency. Jack, who is visiting, Greg has been insured with Auto-Owners for some time and is very satisfied, with no intention of switching.

Greg“So Jack, new car eh? And still on Auto-Owners?(Chuckling)The ole’ “No problem people!”

Jack“Yeah, I love my agent, I really have never had any problems with them.”

Greg(deviously)“You know Jack, we don’t seem to run into too many problems here either. You know why?”

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Cell 2CUT TOINT: Chris’ cubicalChris is currently in the middle of a conversation with a client. Camera angle reveals that Greg is lurking just outside of Chris’ wall.

Chris“… well that might be a problem”----

Camera switches to behind Chris as Greg’s face slowly appears over the wall. Greg then points to a door across the room.

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Cell 3CUT TOEXT: Outside the agencyChris is pacing back and forth outside a window whistling show tunes to occupy himself.

Bill(From inside)“Should someone finish his call?”

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Cell 4RETURNINT: Greg’s office

The two are sitting in a brief awkward pause

Greg(Sheepishly)“Well uhh, what about your house? Or your life? You know we can cover those too”-

Jack(Cutting off Greg)“Yeah, Auto-Owners has it covered.”

Greg(Ashamed)“Right… well let me just validate your parking.”

Cell 5CUT TOBlack screenAgency’s Personal FrameThey can add their own personal touch with items such as: Logo, Slogan, and Contact Information

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conclusionsThe advertising efforts of JAWMAT are clearly targeted at generation Y. Research has concluded that this market holds many traditional core values, similar to Auto-Owners. While this market holds or strives to attain these values, it is clear that they are much less conservative minded than previous generations.

Auto-Owners Insurance has been successful for nearly one-hundred years; however, in recent years, it is clear that other companies have gained market share in the industry. They have done this by appealing to generation Y by rather outrageous advertising campaigns. Regardless, these seemingly irrelevant ads have worked. This is why we feel it is important to move towards less conservative advertisements, to appeal to this younger generation.

It is essential to focus on this younger generation because we believe that once a potential client is exposed to Auto-Owners, it is highly likely that they will stay with us for a longtime. Auto-Owners prides themselves on building relationships, and if we can get young college graduates or newly employed persons exposed to the outstanding services offered, we believe it will have a snowball effect. Essentially, if they start with auto insurance, years later, they will need home owners, and then life insurance, and so on.

works citedtarget market:

Business Insurance. (2003). Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-24161412_ITM Access My Library.

Business Wire. (February 23, 2004). Generation X and Y Adults More Willing to Purchase Insurance from Resources Other Than Agent;.1-4. Retrieved April 10, 2008, fromhttp://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/marketing-advertising/5631709-1.html

Insureme. Reaching the “Hip” Group: Marketing to Generation Y. Insureme. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.insureme.com/content/agent-home/resource/marketing-to-gen-y/

NAS. (2006). GENERATION Y: THE MILLENNIALS READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME. Insights, 1-13. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.nasrecruitment.com/TalentTips/NASinsights/GenerationY.pdf

facebook:

Facebook, et al. Facebook Social Ads. Business Solutions. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.facebook.com/business/?socialads

Facebook, et al. Facebook Pages. Business Solutions. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.facebook.com/business/?pages

Facebook, et al. Beacon. Business Solutions. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.facebook.com/business/?beacon

Facebook, et al. Insights. Business Solutions. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.facebook.com/business/?insights

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