Launch to 'modernise' Zurich insurance for online market

The company is seeking to grow consumer awareness and develop a 'personality' to better stand out on websites such as Comparethemarket.com.

To help with the shift, Zurich has brought in Launch PR - formerly Launch Group - for a rolling project brief following a pitch process.

Andy Nash, director at Launch PR, is leading the work on the six-figure account. He will report to Katy Hurren, media relations manager for Zurich UK General Insurance.

Nash said: 'Zurich is known as a serious, grown-up and traditional insurer, but with the growth of aggregators people are being given choices, so it's important people recognise the insurer and know what to expect from it.

'If you are a brand like Zurich, which is not that well known to the public, you are at a disadvantage compared with a brand such as Direct Line.

'Zurich wants to get a better resonance and develop the personality it needs.'

A recent report revealed that 42.3 per cent of Europeans switching auto or householder insurance last year, or buying it for the first time, did so online - up from 35.4 per cent in 2008.

Several online aggregators are active in the UK market and enjoy a high profile, having spent large amounts of money on advertising. These include Comparethemarket, GoCompare, Confused.com and Moneysupermarket.'

As a result, the insurance market 'has fundamentally shifted in the past two years', added Nash. 'This is the first time in a long time Zurich has tried to increase its presence in the consumer market.'

Launch PR's work will begin with brand planning before moving on to focus on consumers, with comms carried out both offand online.

This article was first published on prweek.com