Abstract:

This paper argues that, in spite of consistent levels of promotional support for UK insurance companies since they first began advertising on television in the mid-1970s, no strong insurance company brands have yet been established in the UK in 20 years. It recognises that there have been many FALSE starts, and looks at the influences from inside and outside the companies which have aided and abetted this failure in branding. It considers the attitudes of company managers towards branding, and examines why the distribution system for insurance products has not seemed to need, or be able to use, strong brands. It examines how the recent changes in regulation and legislation have now made branding of insurance a much more important issue, and lays out some suggested courses of action to remedy this lack of brand building.