And this just doesn’t happen at the more basic levels of marketing, such as a trade show.  My favorite insurance commercials are the Mayhem commercials but the content is so good I always forget who the commercial is actually for …. @Allstate.  Did you remember that the Mayhem commercials are for Allstate off the top of the head or did you draw a blank?  When writing this blog, I had to watch a video to see that the Mayhem ads were for Allstate.  On the other hand, you can’t forget how bad the Liberty Mutual commercials are, and whom they’re advertising for.  As a matter of fact, that’s how people tend to refer to them, “the really horrible @LibertyMutual commercials”.  They’re (purposely?) bad commercials, but the branding sticks and you mention Liberty Mutual whenever you talk about them.  In other words, “so bad, they’re good”.

The lessons learned at both the trade show and media level can be applied to mail and awareness campaigns.  We work with a lot of clients that are implementing @salesforce Marketing Cloud and Account Engagement (aka Pardot).  

Some of the top lessons learned in crafting campaigns and messaging:  

• Clear Brand Association: Ensure your message clearly associates with your brand. Like the puppy booth without a memorable vendor, an engaging email is futile if recipients can’t recall your brand. Your logo, brand colors, and a consistent voice should be evident in every email.
  
  
• Simplicity and Clarity: Avoid overcomplicating your message. Like the straightforward yet memorable water and coffee booths, your emails should be easy to understand and act upon. A clear call-to-action (CTA) is essential. Ensure that the purpose of the email is evident and that recipients know what steps to take next.
  
  
• Psychological Engagement through Personalization: Using elements like past purchase history or interests in emails leverages the psychological principle of recognition, fostering familiarity and attention. This approach enhances relevance, strengthens customer relationships, and typically leads to higher engagement and response rates.  Any information available to you, either internally or external, should be leveraged to personalize your message.  As you mature, artificial intelligence can be brought to bear but is generally not a “first project” consideration. 
  
  
• Storytelling and Emotional Connection: Just as memorable ads often tell a story or evoke emotions, use storytelling in your emails to create a deeper connection with your audience. Share real stories about your brand, customers, or the impact of your products/services to engage readers on a more personal level.

• Distribution Practices: Making sure you’re following appropriate distribution practices.  It is important to avoid being labeled “spam” and filtered out by e-mail servers.  Part of this is respecting “opt out” options or requirements, especially in geographies that have strict regulatory adherence requirements.  All messaging platforms have terms in their contract about not using their products for issuing spam, how well it is enforced varies by product.  

Test and analyze: not all messaging is created equally.  When any channel is used for outgoing or ongoing messaging, it needs to be tested and analyzed for effectiveness.  Never become so enamored with an approach that you’re unwilling to make a change.  With email messaging, something as simple as A/B testing can result in significant messaging effectiveness.

PS Advisory has chosen Salesforce as the primary solution we focus on due to Salesforce’s ability to help insurers avoid the legacy trap.  With experience in CRM, underwriting, distribution management, marketing and digital transformation, PSA has significant experience in helping insurers re-engineer their business and effectively execute their business strategy.