We published the following article on April 21, 2008 and find it worth a re-print.
Geico entered the Massachusetts auto insurance market in May of 2009. They spent over a billion dollars on advertising in 2015 and they are a marketing force.
However, almost seven years after their Massachusetts auto insurance market launch, this independent insurance agent’s fear of the little green lizard is gone.
We compete against them and we’ve taken business from them.
Six year after the article, our belief still rings true:
“For now, it is up to the Independent Insurance Agent, to get the best rates for our clients, to package policies and to round accounts. It is time to save our clients money. It is time to advise and to advocate. It is time to demonstrate our value.”
Ma Auto Insurance & the little, green lizard
Boston, MA – 4/21/2008
Never in the history of the Massachusetts Professional, Independent Insurance Agent community, have five letters been so feared.
Not, “t-h-e-f-t.”
Not, “f-r-a-u-d.”
And no, not, “c-l-a-i-m.”
I am talking about “G-E-I-C-O.”
Not since my childhood Godzilla days, have I been so scared of a lizard.
For years they have advertised in our proud, Commonwealth and for years I have smugly told customers, “GEICO? They don’t even write insurance in Massachusetts!”
Nationally they don’t use Independent Agents, either.
They use call centers and service centers and they don’t write home insurance.
When you work with an Independent, Professional Insurance Agent you are working with someone who who has your best interest in mind. You are working with someone who will shop your insurance with many different companies to get you the best rate. You are working with someone who is your advocate at claim time. Who, at GEICO, works as your advocate? Who, at GEICO, sells multi-lines of insurance and shops your insurances with many different companies?
Like the chilly winds of our Massachusetts’ autums, it seems inevitable that GEICO is coming. When? I don’t know. 2009? 2010 at the latest, is my guess.
For now, it is up to the Independent Insurance Agent, to get the best rates for our clients, to package policies and to round accounts. It is time to save our clients money. It is time to advise and to advocate. It is time to demonstrate our value.