Real Lessons from Real Time
June 25, 2010 by Dave Willis · 2 Comments
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By David Willis
Three years ago, when the Real Time/Download Campaign launched, Aartrijk staffers, in our Campaign communication leadership roles, fielded a range of Campaign Web site visitor queries, such as: “How much is this Real Time software you’re selling?” and “Where can I buy your Real Time product?” We’d explain that we weren’t selling anything and that Real Time was actually available in existing agency systems.
Today, we rarely get such questions. Most property and casualty insurance professionals understand that Real Time is a workflow—it’s the ability to click on a button from a client file in an agency management system or comparative rater and get immediate access to carrier info on that client. They recognize Eddie, the Campaign’s mascot, as a the friend of improved workflows and profitability. And they know how to access Real Time in their systems.
More than that, they’re implementing. Vendors report marked growth in Real Time transactions. And our 2010 survey of independent agents and brokers showed that more than two-thirds of respondents use Real Time—up 30% from a year earlier.
What’s changed? As part of the Campaign, industry leaders engaged in activities to boost recognition of Real Time and its benefits. Through strategic implementation of focused advertising (PDF file), media placements, Web site content development, events—online and in-person, and other foundational marketing communication, the Campaign made the case for Real Time. It was a good case, too, for a good product.
At the same time, carriers and vendors built out capabilities, increased availability and refined functionality. Plus, they instituted direct sales and educational activities of their own—often using Campaign materials and initiatives as a hook. Those realizing greatest success capitalized on the complementary nature of branding and sales. This integrated approach delivered better results.
That’s a lesson we all should keep in mind. Branding and marketing communications do well generating awareness and readying buyers. But without sales efforts to build on this, it’s easy to fall short. By the same token, without a marketing and branding strategy, those on the front line face an uphill battle turning prospects into buyers—or in this case, users. Integration is key.
Another lesson has to do with the product that is being branded. Believe it or not, it was 25 years ago that Coca Cola spent millions (probably lots of millions) of dollars to promote its new product. The price being paid on the black market—$30 a case—for the old product proved the public didn’t want to change.
Our industry has experienced similar situations. Who remembers “Paper Free in ’83” and “Elect SECMI in November?” Each represented a visionary approach to improving agency workflows. And each was ahead of its time. In both cases, the underlying product was not ready.
If you promote something the public isn’t ready for or is in some other way flawed, it won’t get implemented. That’s not the case with Real Time. The model is good. It works. Agents and brokers and their business partners are taking it seriously. More and more carriers and vendors are offering increased functionality. And more and more agents and brokers are making Real Time a habit.
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Good post Dave. I still find pockets of resistance in implementing and using Real Time by some agencies or by some staff within an agency. Change is the hardest thing for people to do, especially when they think they can do things their old way faster. Surely in another couple of years this will be an old subject and we will have moved on to something else.
Well written.
As to Real TIme and adoption: I just came from a CIC Ruble. In the Cyber Liability class an otherwise very competent instructor was describing why SEMCI was never going to be a reality! This is from CIC – terrible! I approached the instructor at the break and explained the success of Real Time and the wide industry adoption. Fortunately, he introduced me after the break, gave me the microphone for 5 minutes, and allowed me the opportunity to tell the real Real Time story to the group of 200+ CIC’s. Even better, the next day, when he repeated his class for another group of CIC’s at the same conference, he talked about Real Time being a success.