5,000TH AGENCY JOINS TRUSTED CHOICE®
Lane Insurance Agency, Inc. of Norwalk, Iowa is milestone agency
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 22, 2005—Trusted Choice®, the consumer brand program for independent agents and brokers, has reached its goal of 5,000 retail locations across the country, announces Ronald A. Smith, CPCU, Trusted Choice® Board chairman.
Lane Insurance Agency, Inc. of Norwalk, Iowa, is the 5,000th Big “I” member to join the 29 leading agency system companies that are participating in Trusted Choice®—the brand that educates consumers about the benefits of using independent agents and brokers.
“I have seen the Trusted Choice® advertising on television and have seen the logo displayed by other agencies here in Iowa,” says Lewis Lane, president of Lane Insurance Agency, who started the agency in 1969 from scratch, describing influences along his path to joining the brand program.
“Some things you just don’t want to jump into; so I wanted to learn more about Trusted Choice® before I signed up my agency,” continues Lane. “Also, like many other agencies’ owners, I wanted to see the success of the brand program, and I have. I am excited to be the 5,000th participating agency and look forward to making the most of my agency’s involvement in Trusted Choice®.”
The Trusted Choice® brand program was launched in October 2001 to highlight to consumers the benefits independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms offer consumers—choice of companies, customization of policies and advocacy support.
“This is a significant accomplishment for Trusted Choice®,” says Smith, president of Smith, Sawyer & Smith, Inc., a Rochester, Ind.-based independent agency. “In less than four years, Trusted Choice® has gone from a start-up to a thriving, robust brand program that boasts the participation of 5,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerages and their branch office locations across the country.
“Our participating agencies and brokers possess a significant voice in the insurance and financial services marketplace,” continues Smith. “We are closer to realizing our overall objective of making Trusted Choice® a household name in America.”
“Trusted Choice® is about positioning independent agencies for the future. It is about a positive experience for the insurance customer that is based on the value-added that an insurance professional brings to an insurance transaction,” says Big “I” CEO Robert A. Rusbuldt. “We are grateful to our Trusted Choice® company partners that have worked with us to reach this goal. We encourage other carriers that would like to be a part of this rising brand movement to join us as we create a strong presence for independent agents and brokers in the marketplace.
“Trusted Choice® will focus its efforts on expanding the brand program by reaching out to more Big ‘I’ agencies and brokerages and bringing them into the program. Together we will work with our dedicated company partners to establish Trusted Choice® as the smart choice for the consumer,” concludes Rusbuldt.
Ten national insurers are Trusted Choice® company partners: Encompass Insurance, Markel Insurance Company, MetLife Auto & Home, Ohio Casualty Insurance, Drive Insurance from Progressive, Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Safeco Insurance and three Unitrin, Inc. divisions: Kemper Auto and Home, Unitrin Business Insurance and Unitrin Specialty.
A total of 18 regional companies are Trusted Choice® company partners: Allied Insurance, America First Insurance, Capital Insurance Group, Central Insurance Companies, Colorado Casualty, Consumers Insurance, GoAmerica Auto Insurance, Golden Eagle Insurance, Hawkeye-Security Insurance, Indiana Insurance, Liberty Northwest Insurance Corp., The Main Street America Group, Maine Mutual Group, Montgomery Insurance, National Security Fire & Casualty, Peerless Insurance, Selective Insurance Group and Summit Insurance (R.I.). InsurBanc, a federal thrift bank created by the Big “I,” is a Trusted Choice® strategic partner.
The Trusted Choice® brand is being promoted nationally through a combination of advertising, company partner ingredient branding, public relations, member agency marketing and Internet communications. Trusted Choice® currently is running Internet banner ads on homestore.com and its network of Web sites, and has a national cable flight coming up from Sept. 12 to 25.
All media direct consumers to www.TrustedChoice.com, where they will find the Trusted Choice® Agency Locator and consumer information on relevant insurance topics.
Trusted Choice® is the consumer marketing identity for thousands of independent insurance agencies and brokerages and their branch locations. These firms offer a choice of insurance companies and policies, customization of policy coverage, and consumer advocacy support. Web address: www.TrustedChoice.com.
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