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3dInosAurmArketIngtACtICsAndWhytheyx19redyIngoffareyouragencyx19smarketingstrategiesamongthosenearingextinctionDinosaurswerethelargestlandanimalsthateverexisted.Thisdiverselargegroupofspecieslivedfrom230millionyearsagountilitsmysteriousextinctionabout65millionyearsago.Somescientiststheorizethattodayx19searthisinanothersignicantperiodofbiologicalextinction.Thecategoriesofextinctendangeredandthreatenedspeciesdonx19tjustapplytoanimals.TheyalsoapplytoinsurancemarketingtacticsusedbyindependentagentsandbrokersintheUnitedStates.Independentagentsneedtoconsiderwhethermarketingapproachesusedinyearsandevendecadespastwillbeeffectiveformuchlonger.Herex19salookatthreetried-and-no-longer-truemarketingtechniquesNewspaperAdsPrintnewspaperadvertisingnolongerdrawsthereadershipitdidevenafewyearsago.InNovember2011TheNewYorkTimesreportedthatx1cprintnewspapercirculationcontinuestoweakeninwhathasbecomearelentlessoveralldeclineinrecentyears.x1dNewspapersx19advertisingrevenuesdeclinedabout48from2006to2010accordingtothePewResearchCenter.OnlineversionsofnewspapersaredrawingreadersbutmanypublishersarestillstrugglingwiththetasksofearningpaidsubscribersandprovingthatWeb-basedadvertisingworks.ColdCallsArecoldcallsstillawaytondprospectsandclientsYescoldcallscangenerateactivityinsomecases.ButmillionsofAmericansdonx19twantthem.BewareSincetheFederalTradeCommissionestablishedanationalx1cDoNotCallRegistryx1din2003Americanshaveregisteredmorethan200millionresidentiallandlinesandcellphones.ThatisabigindicatorthatAmericanssimplyarenotinterestedinunsolicitedtelephonecalls.Andfederallawprohibitsunsolicitedcommercialcallstoanynumbercontainedonthelist.Manystateshaveasimilardo-not-callregistrationprocessforconsumers.Arelatedpracticex14whichseemstoincreaseduringelectionyearssincepoliticalcampaignsareexemptfromdo-not-callrulesx14isrobo-callingwhereamachinedialsandthenplaysanaudiorecordingwhenthetelephoneisanswered.InApriltheFederalCommunicationsCommissionchangedrulesfortelemarketersrequiringthemtogetwrittenauthorizationtoplacerobo-callsx14evenforexistingcustomersx14andrequiringanopt-outmechanism.AgainthisindicatesthatAmericansresenttheinterruptionspresentedbyunexpectedtelephonecalls.YellowPagesAdvertisingYellowPagesadsfordecadeswereafavoriteofmanybusinessesandprofessionals.WhyTheYellowPagestargetedpotentialcustomersinadenedgeographicareaandmanyofthemwerereadytobuywhentheypickeduptheYellowPages.Butjustasisthecaseforprintnewspapersprintedphonedirectoriesaredeclininginuse.Onenewsreportrecentlyciteda30declinefrom2009-2011inYellowPagesadvertisingrevenue.Thesethreeexamplesofx1cdinosaurx1dmarketingtacticsillustrateanoveralltrendThedecades-longeffectivenessofx1cinterruptionmarketingx1disdeclining.Consumersandgovernmentregulatorsaretakingstepstosidestepblockoroutrightrejectoutboundone-waymarketingtactics.Bycontrastconsumerstodayareexpectingmarketerstoreachthemthroughamoreinformation-basedapproachwithtacticssuchasprovidingrelevantinformationansweringcommonquestionsandlisteningthroughsocialnetworking.Thegoodnewsisthatconsumersstillwantandneedtohearfrommarketersbuttheywanttodoitontheirtermsontheirpage19APublicationofIndependentInsuranceAgentsofWVcontinuedonpage20