Challenge
Allstate Insurance is the second largest insurance company in the US, but the company has a much lower profile in Canada. In 2009, Thornley Fallis became Allstate Insurance Company of Canada’s first public relations agency with a mandate to strengthen and modernize Allstate Canada’s brand reputation and to place the insurer in the minds of Canadians as an insurance company that gives back to the community and protects people.
Faced with a lack of genuine announcements or “news-worthy” events on which Allstate Canada could capitalize, TFC was asked to develop and execute a strategic and proactive media relations program that would place Allstate Canada as a leader in community safety issues. Allstate Canada wanted media coverage in both the larger markets and smaller markets where its agencies are located.
Solution
Realizing a major obstacle for Allstate Canada was its low brand recognition in Canada, TFC developed a media relations program that would allow us to repeatedly engage with members of community media about important messages around safety and preparedness.
TFC’s solution was to develop and execute the Allstate Canada News Bureau, an on-going media relations program with a bank of story ideas for bi-weekly proactive pitching to journalists that would not normally cover insurance topics — auto, home and lifestyle journalists.
TFC analyzed Allstate Canada claims data and indentified interesting statistics that would tie-in with safety tips for a media release. The program began in 2009 and based on its success was expanded for 2010.
Approach
TFC created a story bank of ideas for media releases that would be pitched to lifestyle, auto, home and community journalists approximately twice a month and would position Allstate Canada as an expert in community safety and preparedness. Some of the releases allowed Allstate Canada to leverage its partnership with key stakeholders, such as MADD Canada.
During the development of the process, TFC developed key messages for the News Bureau program that spoke to Allstate’s commitment to community prevention and protection, as well as a call to action to visit Allstate Canada’s goodhandsadvice.ca website. TFC and Allstate Canada indentified Allstate Canada agency managers (AMs) in the five provinces with Allstate Canada offices, to be trained as regional media spokespeople for the News Bureau pitches.
The media releases were researched by TFC, who worked together with Allstate Canada’s claims department to develop proactive messaging about prevention, protection and safety. The releases included quotes from an Allstate Canada spokesperson and usually 10 tips for readers/viewers/listeners to take away from the story. The releases were translated into French and posted to goodhandsadvice.ca. Topics in the 2010 program included bike safety month, closing the cottage for the winter, motorcycle safety, weirdest claims and safe summer driving.
Results
Prior to the start of the News Bureau program in the spring of 2009, Allstate Canada had eight mentions in mainstream media publications in a six month period. From May 2009 to December 2010 TFC has generated 185 pieces of Allstate Canada coverage. Of these stories, 87 per cent were positive in tone and 87 per cent included an Allstate Canada key message.
Of more importance, many of the AMs have become frequent guests on radio or television shows and improved their media interview skills. For example, John Bailey, an AM in Moncton, NB, was interviewed four times by a New Brunswick radio station in a three month period about News Bureau media releases; Jason Foroglou, a GTA-area AM, appeared on Canada AM to discuss motorcycle safety and Terri Meadows, an AM in Kitchener, ON, appeared on a daytime television show in her community four times in 2010.
