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THREEDINOSAURMARkETINGTACTICSANDWHyTHEyx19REDyINGOFFpage4APublicationofIndependentInsuranceAgentsofWVByMartinP.AgatherCPCUARMDinosaurswerethelargestlandanimalsthateverexisted.Thisdiverselargegroupofspecieslivedfrom230millionyearsagountiltheirmysteriousextinctionabout65millionyearsago.Somebiologiststheorizethattodaytheearthisinanothergreatperiodofbiologicalextinction.Thecategoriesofextinctendangeredandthreatenedspeciesdonx19tjustapplytoanimals.TheyalsoapplytoinsurancemarketingtacticsusedbyindependentagentsandbrokersintheUnitedStates.Independentagentsneedtoconsiderwhethermarketingapproachesusedinyearsandevendecadespastwillbeeffectiveformuchlonger.Herex19salookatthreetried-and-no-longer-truemarketingtechniquesNewspaperAdsPrintnewspaperadvertisingnolongerdrawsthereadershipitdidevenafewyearsago.ReportedTheNewYorkTimesx1cprintnewspapercirculationcontinuestoweakeninwhathasbecomearelentlessoveralldeclineinrecentyearsx1dNov.12011.Newspapersx19advertisingrevenuesdeclinedabout48from2006to2010reportedthePewResearchCenter.Onlineversionsofnewspapersaredrawingreadersbutmanypublishersarestillstrugglingwiththetasksofearningpaidsubscribersandprovingthatweb-basedadvertisingworks.ColdCallsArecoldcallsstillawaytoFndprospectsandclientsYescoldcallscangenerateactivityinsomecases.ButmillionsofAmericansdonx19twantthem.BewareSincetheFederalTradeCommissionestablishedanationalx1cDoNotCallRegistryx1din2003Americanshaveregisteredmorethan200millionresidentiallandlinesandcellphones.ThatisabigindicatorthatAmericanssimplyarenotinterestedinunsolicitedtelephonecalls.AndFederallawprohibitsunsolicitedcommercialcallstoanynumbercontainedonthelist.Manystateshaveasimilardo-not-callregistrationprocessforconsumers.Arelatedpracticewhichseemstoincreaseduringelectionyearssincepoliticalcampaignsareexemptfromdo-not-callrulesisx1crobocallingx1dwhereamachinedialsandthenplaysanaudiorecordingwhenthetelephoneisanswered.TheFederalCommunicationsCommissioninApril2012changedrulesfortelemarketersrequiringthemtogetwrittenauthorizationtoplacerobo-callsevenforexistingcustomersandrequiringanopt-outmechanism.AgainthisindicatesthatAmericansresenttheinterruptionspresentedbyunexpectedtelephonecalls.YellowPagesAdvertisingYellowPagesadsfordecadeswereafavoriteofmanybusinessesandprofessionals.WhyTheYellowPagestargetedpotentialcustomersinadeFnedgeographicareaandmanyofthemwerereadytobuywhentheypickeduptheYellowPages.Butjustasforprintnewspapersprintedphonedirectoriesaredeclininginuse.Onenewsreportrecentlyciteda30declinefrom2009-2011inYellowPagesadvertisingrevenue.TheLessonStopInterruptingStartListeningThesethreeexamplesofx1cdinosaurx1dmarketingtacticsillustrateanoveralltrendThedecades-longeffectivenessofx1cinterruptionmarketingx1disdeclining.Consumersandgovernmentregulatorsaretakingstepstosidestepblockoroutrightrejectoutboundone-waymarketingtactics.Bycontrastconsumerstodayareexpectingmarketerstoreachthemthroughamoreinformation-basedapproachwithtacticssuchasprovidingrelevantinformationansweringcommonquestionsandlisteningthroughsocialnetworking.Thegoodnewsisthatconsumersstillwantandneedtohearfrommarketersbuttheywanttodoitontheirtermsontheirscheduleandattheirpace.Thisx1cpermissionmarketingx1dishighlyeffectivewhendoneright.IntheinsuranceindustryweatProjectCAPseethistrend.Aboutthreeoffouroftodayx19spersonallinesinsuranceconsumersbegintheirsearchforcoverageonline.Thedinosaurmarketingtacticslistedabovewouldmisstheseprospectsaltogether.The22000independentagenciesthroughouttheU.S.have160000licensedproducersin27000localofFces.Manyoftheseagentsandbrokersstruggletoconnectwithonlineconsumers--butagentscanwiniftheyadoptmarketingapproacheslikethoseavailablethroughProjectCAPthatprovidethemopportunitiestointeractandprovideinformationandadvicetoconsumers.OnelastnoteaboutdinosaursTheworddinosaurcomesfromLatinandGreekrootsmeaningx1cterriblelizard.x1dHoweverthenameismisleadingsincedinosaursarenotlizards.FormoreinformationonProjectCAPvisitProjectCAPMarketing.com.MartyAgatherMartyAgatherProjectCAPMarketing.comisvicepresidentclientdevelopmentforProjectCAP.ProjectCAPprovidesdigitalmarketingtoolsandservicestohelpindependentagenciesbrokersandinsurancecarriersbuildtheironlinebrandsandvisibilityinordertoattractandinteractwithtodayx19sdigitalconsumers.ProjectCAPwascreatedthroughanallianceoftheIndependentInsuranceAgentsandBrokersofAmericaIIABAortheBigx1cIx1dTrustedChoicestateassociationsandkeyinsurancecarrierstoexpandtheindependentagentx19sshareofthepersonallinesinsurancemarket.