Consulting Case Studies

---

• » Building a Learning Organization

  Training and development programs in the retail business unit of a large national bank were fragmented and delivered inconsistent messaging from one level to another…

• » Strategic Research

  To provide strategic direction for the potential promotion of a mutual insurance association and its member companies via a large scale marketing/branding campaign…

• » Transformational Change

  This 30-year old charitable organization was in a significant deficit position and their Executive Director role had been vacant for over a year…

Coaching Case Studies

---

• » Coaching Case Study

  Coming Soon!

Strategic Research

The Client:

Organization: Ontario Mutual Insurance Association (OMIA), Cambridge, ON
Sector: Insurance

The Challenge:

To provide strategic direction for the potential promotion of a mutual insurance association and its member companies via a large scale marketing/branding campaign. This association of mutual companies was established in 1882 to facilitate cooperation and best serve primarily rural clients. In 2007, the association was experiencing increased competition, changing needs of customers (both in service and products), and differing backgrounds and interests of brokers and sales staff coming into the member companies. There was question whether a full scale branding and marketing campaign would prove both beneficial and valuable to them as an organization. In addition, there was uncertainty whether a large scale marketing initiative would be supported by the members of the association.

The Approach:

• Worked with the association’s Marketing Committee to confirm investigative process, gather industry information, identify key and influential stakeholders
• Conducted secondary research review to understand the environmental context of the mutual insurance industry
• Conducted interviews and on-line surveys with member company managers and brokers to determine current value proposition, competition, barriers to success, delivery of services, benefits of the association and response to a marketing initiative
• Conducted interviews and on-line surveys with policyholders potential policyholders to determine awareness and use of insurance companies (products and services), perceptions and expectations
• Produced summary report with recommendations regarding the strategic issues that key stakeholders identified and impact on the ROI of a major re-branding/marketing campaign

The Results Delivered:

• The consistent message from mutual company managers, brokers, and policyholders was that member companies serve a unique niche of customers who do not respond to high tech, glitzy marketing. Instead, they value the member companies’ grassroots heritage and personal service.
• The research process served to engage the member companies and brokers in the marketing initiative and led to the development of a high impact, lower tech marketing solution with an impressive ROI