Field Guide To Digital Distribution - Report
Field Guide To Digital Distribution - Report
Rob Norris
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Executive Summary 4
2. Introduction 6
3. 12P Framework Refresher 9
4. Delivery Activities 13
5. Interaction Dimensions 24
6. Organizational Components 31
7. Path Forward 40
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Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• This report is a companion to The 12P Framework: • We conclude with three recommendations. First, we
Modeling the Digital Distribution of Insurance, which recommend sharing this report in order to educate
introduced the 12P Framework. employees, stimulate dialogue, and create a sense of
• The purpose of this report is to use real-world urgency around change.
examples to make the abstract concepts of the 12P • Second, we suggest thinking about improvements to
Framework more concrete and to stimulate action. digital distribution in a holistic fashion and avoiding the
• In a format inspired by wildlife field guides, we present temptation to plan improvements to all 12 Ps
a series of two-page profiles of companies “spotted in individually.
the wild” that exemplify digital distribution. • Finally, we encourage carriers that rely on traditional
• There is one company profile for each of the 12 Ps of independent agents to consider how carriers can be
the Distribution Mix, although in many cases we could better partners as agents attempt to evolve to survive
have chosen from several good examples. in a digital world.
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Introduction
BACKGROUND
• In our recently published report, The 12P Framework: • The Field Guide to Digital Distribution (this report) is a
Modeling the Digital Distribution of Insurance, we took companion to The 12P Framework.
the position that the frameworks insurers use to aid in • The purpose of this report is first to address a problem
the development, planning, and execution of that is inherent in any framework, which is that it is
marketing strategy need to be modernized in response necessarily abstract and conceptual. This report
to the continuing digital disruption of our industry. intends to make concepts more concrete by providing
• In that report, we introduced the 12P Framework, real-life examples of them.
which was adapted from the well-known concepts of • The second purpose is to stimulate action. In the
the customer funnel and the marketing mix. Our author’s personal experience, showing examples of
framework modifies and extends these earlier models other companies—including competitors—can create a
to be better suited for the insurance industry and more stronger sense of engagement and alignment around
capable of handling the nuances of distribution in a new strategies.
digital era.
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Introduction Field Guide to Digital Distribution
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12P Framework Refresher
Awareness Promotion
Person &
Place Presence
Property
Consideration Personalization
ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENTS
Coverage Purchase
Processes Performers
Renewal Policy
Platforms Plexus
Fulfillment Performance
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12P Framework Refresher Field Guide to Digital Distribution
VALUE FUNNEL DELIVERY ACTIVITIES • The Value Funnel describes the stages of
an individual’s journey in getting value
Awareness Promotion
from an insurer. Funnels are used as a
tool for tracking people as they move
Consideration Personalization from one stage to another. The goal is to
move (“convert”) as many customers as
possible to the bottom stages of the
Coverage Purchase funnel.
• Each funnel stage corresponds to a set of
Renewal Policy
actions defined within Delivery Activities.
They represents the primary (but not
only) ways that an insurer overcomes
Fulfillment Performance conversion obstacles in that stage.
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Path Forward
CLOSING THOUGHTS
We offer three recommendations for putting the Field Guide to use in your organization.
Share this report with colleagues and use it to stimulate • Think about the 12 Ps as complementary elements of a
dialogue. cohesive strategy, not individual levers to pull in
• This is an educational tool about the digital isolation from one another.
transformation of our industry. Use it to help
employees at all levels understand the implications for Think about how to enable your agents to be more
the company and how it may affect them personally. successful in a digital world.
• In the author’s experience, pointing to examples in the • While many of the examples in this report involve direct
real world—especially if they involve competitors—can writers and digital agents, there are lessons for carriers
create a sense of urgency around the need for change. that use traditional independent agents.
• To succeed in digital distribution, independent agents
Avoid a shotgun approach to managing change. will require new and different capabilities from their
• While there are 12 Ps in the Distribution Matrix, you carrier partners. Talk to your agents about what they
shouldn’t spin up 12 projects to improve them. need and want. Ask them which carriers are leaders and
which are laggards in their digital capabilities.
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Path Forward Field Guide to Digital Distribution
RELATED RESEARCH
The 12P Framework: Modeling the Digital Distribution of Insurance Toggle, A Farmers Company (March 2022)
(September 2022) https://www.celent.com/insights/255028014
https://www.celent.com/insights/546699217
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Path Forward Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Typical projects we support include: We provide services that help you refine your product and
Business practice evaluations. We spend time evaluating your service offerings. Examples include:
business processes and requirements. Based on our knowledge Product and service strategy evaluation. We help you assess
of the market, we identify potential process or technology your market position in terms of functionality, technology, and
constraints and provide clear insights that will help you services. Our strategy workshops will help you target the right
implement industry best practices. customers and map your offerings to their needs.
IT and business strategy creation. We collect perspectives from Market messaging and collateral review. Based on our
your executive team, your front line business and IT staff, and extensive experience with your potential clients, we assess
your customers. We then analyze your current position, your marketing and sales materials—including your website
institutional capabilities, and technology against your goals. If and any collateral.
necessary, we help you reformulate your technology and
business plans to address short-term and long-term needs.
Vendor short listing and selection. We perform discovery specific
to you and your business to better understand your unique
needs. We then create and administer a custom RFI to selected
vendors to assist you in making rapid and accurate vendor
choices.
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Field Guide to Digital Distribution
For more information please contact Celent at [email protected] or
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Field Guide to Digital Distribution
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright 2022 Celent, a division of Oliver Wyman, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of This report is not a substitute for tailored professional advice on how a specific financial
Marsh & McLennan Companies [NYSE: MMC]. All rights reserved. institution should execute its strategy. This report is not investment advice and should not be
relied on for such advice or as a substitute for consultation with professional accountants, tax,
This report may not be reproduced, copied or redistributed, in whole or in part, in any form or by legal or financial advisers.
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12P Framework Refresher Field Guide to Digital Distribution
DISTRIBUTION MIX
• The Delivery Activities describe
sets of actions involved in the The 12 Ps of the Distribution Mix
distribution of insurance. DELIVERY ACTIVITIES INTERACTION DIMENSIONS
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Delivery ACTIVITIEs
PROMOTION: JERRY
Jerry is intentional in its efforts to win the battle of
organic search results in personal auto insurance.
Source: Jerry. “Jerry Official Site: Compare & Buy Car Insurance.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://getjerry.com. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Jerry. “Jerry Official Site: Compare & Buy Car Insurance.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://getjerry.com.
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
PERSONALIZATION: TOGGLE
Celent recognized this innovation insurer—initially a
skunkworks project within Farmers Insurance—as Model
Insurer of the Year for its Personalization approach.
• Farmers wanted to target the market of young
insurance buyers—many of whom lack awareness
of the need for insurance—with an insurance
product that would be “much more digitally
founded, personalized, and direct.”
• Toggle asks for a bare minimum of information to
produce a renters or auto quote—not much more
than a name, address, and birthdate. The rest
comes from third party data sources.
• Toggle can provide an apples-to-apples comparison
with the customer’s existing auto policy, a capability
Toggle says is industry leading.
Source: Rob Norris. “Toggle, a Farmers Company | Celent.” March 16, 2022. https://www.celent.com/insights/255028014 Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Rob Norris. “Toggle, a Farmers Company | Celent.” March 16, 2022. https://www.celent.com/insights/255028014
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
PURCHASE: THREE
Small business insurer Three is highly focused on breaking
down barriers to purchase.
Source: Three Insurance. “Jargon-free small business insurance – THREE by Berkshire Hathaway.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://threeinsurance.com. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Three Insurance. “Jargon-free small business insurance – THREE by Berkshire Hathaway.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://threeinsurance.com.
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Next Insurance. “Next Insurance on the App Store.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/next-insurance/id1580721755. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Next Insurance. “Next Insurance on the App Store.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/next-insurance/id1580721755.
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
PERFORMANCE: HIPPO
Hippo goes far beyond fulfilment of the basic promise of
insurance.
Source: Hippo Insurance Services. “Homeowners Insurance – Get a Quote in 60 Seconds – Hippo.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://www.hippo.com. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Delivery Activities Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Hippo Insurance Services. “Homeowners Insurance – Get a Quote in 60 Seconds – Hippo.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://www.hippo.com.
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INTERACTION DIMENSIONs
Source: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. “Drive Safe & Save on the App Store.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drive-safe-save/id1043246998 Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Interaction Dimensions Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. “Drive Safe & Save on the App Store.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drive-safe-save/id1043246998 Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Interaction Dimensions Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Sources: Cover Genius. “Cover Genius | The Insurtech for Embedded Insurance.” Accessed September 15, 2022.
https://covergenius.com.
Ryanair. “Official Ryanair website | Cheap flights in Europe | Ryanair.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://www.ryanair.com. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Interaction Dimensions Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Sources: Cover Genius. “Cover Genius | The Insurtech for Embedded Insurance.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://covergenius.com.
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Interaction Dimensions Field Guide to Digital Distribution
PRESENCE: LEMONADE
Lemonade is the exemplar of feel-good insurance,
attempting to maximize trust and social impact.
Source: Lemonade. “Lemonade: An Insurance Company Built for the 21st Century.” Accessed September 15, 2022.
https://lemonade.com.
Lemonade. “Form 10-K Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://sec.report/Document/0001691421-21-000024 Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Interaction Dimensions Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Lemonade. “Lemonade: An Insurance Company Built for the 21st Century.” Accessed September 15, 2022.
https://lemonade.com.
Lemonade. “Form 10-K Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://sec.report/Document/0001691421-21-000024
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Organizational Components
Source: Pinnacol.com. “Pinnacol Annual Report 2017 | Pinnacol.” Accessed September 12, 2022.
https://www.pinnacol.com/annual-reports/2017. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Photo by GSA
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
PLATFORMS: CLEARCOVER
Tech-first auto insurer Clearcover uses a modern,
distributed architecture of best-of-breed platforms.
Sources: Snapsheet. “Snapsheet Drives Digital Payments for Clearcover Claimants and Vendors.” June 15, 2020.
https://snapsheetclaims.com/snapsheet-drives-digital-payments-for-clearcover-claimants-and-vendors/.
Clearcover. “Efficient CI/CD for dbt, Clearcover.” July 2, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oyS6lK0u84. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Sources: Lob. “Lob & Clearcover.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://www.lob.com/case-studies/clearcover-
direct-mail-automation
Zendesk. “Zendesk Customer Service Software & Sales CRM | Best in 2022.”
Illustrative—not an actual Clearcover support case.
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Cake Insure. “Buy Colorado Workers’ Comp Insurance Online | Cake.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://cakeinsure.com. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
Source: Cake Insure. “Buy Colorado Workers’ Comp Insurance Online | Cake.” Accessed September 15, 2022. https://cakeinsure.com. Bird image by pch.vector on Freepik.com
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
PLEXUS: CHUBB
An insurance giant epitomizes the power of the Plexus
with its Chubb Studio initiative for embedded insurance.
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Organizational Components Field Guide to Digital Distribution
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