TRUSTED CHOICE® WEB SITE SURPASSES 2 MILLION VISITS
Web traffic more than doubles from 2004
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 28, 2005—Visits to www.TrustedChoice.com, the Web site for the Trusted Choice® brand program, are growing at an incredible rate.
Compared to all of 2004, the number of visits to the Trusted Choice® Web site has more than doubled, and the number of pages viewed has tripled thus far this year, announces Ronald A. Smith, CPCU, president of Smith, Sawyer & Smith, Inc., a Rochester, Ind.-based Trusted Choice® agency, and chairman of the brand program’s Board of Directors.
Trusted Choice® is the national consumer brand that educates consumers about the benefits of using independent insurance agents and brokers. Launched in 2001 by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and several independent agency companies, Trusted Choice® highlights the benefits independent agencies and brokerage firms offer consumers—choice of companies, customization of policies and advocacy support.
Through Dec. 21, www.TrustedChoice.com experienced more than 2.1 million visits and more than 51 million hits for the entire site. In all of 2004, there were 1,018,045 visits and 15,208,383 hits. The average daily hits on the site have more than tripled so far in 2005 compared to all of 2004.
“This growth in Web traffic clearly shows that Trusted Choice® is making inroads in building consumer awareness of the brand and by extension the agencies that are participating in the brand program,” says Smith. “It also is a great indicator that consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about the Trusted Choice® brand and individual agencies. More and more consumers are learning about what Trusted Choice® agencies have to offer and are making the choice to use one for their insurance and financial services needs.”
“Trusted Choice® is getting its message out—reaching consumers who are now using online Trusted Choice® resources to learn about insurance coverage issues and to find a trusted insurance advisor,” says Trusted Choice® Executive Director Jeffrey A. Myers. “In 2006, we will be investing more resources and more effort into expanding the consumer outreach aspect of the brand campaign, thereby further building consumer brand awareness and recognition.”
The Web site hosts an Agency Locator through which consumers can find the agency that is right for them based on location, coverages offered, insurance companies represented and other search parameters. In addition, consumers can access important information and frequently-asked questions about life, health, auto, home, small business and other types of insurance.
Ten national insurers are Trusted Choice® company partners: Encompass Insurance, Markel Insurance Company, MetLife Auto & Home, Ohio Casualty Insurance, Drive Insurance from Progressive, Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Safeco Insurance and three Unitrin, Inc. divisions: Kemper Auto and Home, Unitrin Business Insurance and Unitrin Specialty.
A total of 21 regional or single-state domiciled insurers are Trusted Choice® company partners: Allied Insurance, America First Insurance, Capital Insurance Group, Central Insurance Companies, Colorado Casualty, Consumers Insurance, GoAmerica Auto Insurance, Golden Eagle Insurance, Hawkeye-Security Insurance, Harleysville Insurance, Indiana Insurance, Liberty Northwest Insurance Corp., The Main Street America Group, Maine Mutual Group, Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance, Montgomery Insurance, National Security Fire & Casualty, Peerless Insurance, Selective Insurance Group, Summit Insurance (R.I.) and Upland Mutual Insurance. InsurBanc, a federal thrift bank created by the Big “I,” is a Trusted Choice® strategic partner.
The Trusted Choice® brand is promoted nationally through a combination of national, state and local-agency advertising; company partner ingredient branding; public relations activities; member agency marketing; and Internet communications. A public relations campaign on personal insurance issues launched recently is garnering significant coverage in national consumer media outlets.
All media direct consumers to www.TrustedChoice.com where they find the Trusted Choice® Agency Locator and helpful information on relevant insurance topics.
Trusted Choice® is the consumer marketing identity for more than 5,400 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms and their branch locations. These businesses offer individual and business consumers a choice of insurance companies and policies, customization of policy coverage and advocacy support. Web address: www.TrustedChoice.com.
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