Finding the core of a 145-year-old company
With roots that reach as far back as 1876, Central Insurance was steeped in heritage. The company was also incredibly successful, with over $2 billion in assets under management. They weren’t looking to turn their business around—they just wanted a brand that matched their success. And they found the perfect opportunity to do that during a change in leadership. What better time to examine your company’s brand so you can protect its legacy and look to the future? Our Hi-Res Branding allowed us to uncover what was central to…uh, well, Central.
Discover
We analyzed major competitors, conducted many customer interviews and surveyed over 450 people—customers and employees—about their experience with Central. That data enabled us to determine audience personas and create a detailed customer experience map. The research also led to core brand attributes that distinguished Central in the marketplace.
Develop
It was apparent that Central’s existing brand did not reflect them properly. They were known as a premium company that offered first-rate products. But their brand fell short of that perception. It needed to be elevated. To do that, we first analyzed their existing brand to find out what the key assets were and then capitalized on those. We maintained their primary color, yellow, and the C monogram in their logo, but we were able to expand both elements in ways that reflected their brand attributes. For messaging, we made their brand story and overall tone more consumer friendly and less like insurance-speak.
Deliver
In addition to their continuity guide, we created a video that was an internal rallying cry for employees to get behind the refreshed brand. It was also a way to introduce the new brand to Central’s agents. And it was put on the website and the company’s YouTube channel so that policyholders could learn more about them as well.
The Results:
Along with our normal deliverables, we offered a campaign and strategy for how to adapt messaging to address specific segments of their audience. This allowed them to do tailored campaigns centered around different industries.
It should be mentioned, too, that the entire branding project was done during the COVID-19 lockdown, meaning all our work and collaboration with Central was handled through Zoom calls. It wasn’t our typical workflow, but we made it work! (Sorry, you’re still muted…)
The feedback Big obtained through our customers and stakeholders informed our decisions during the rebrand—and continues to be useful today. Another major benefit came from Big identifying our brand values, which we now better reflect in our messaging. Because we have an in-house marketing team, we appreciated Big's willingness to work alongside our staff as a complement rather than a replacement.
Laura K. Ditto, Marketing Communications Manager, Central Insurance