Time to call a spade a spade
By David Bomphrey
The Times Online recently reported findings from a study that showed that millions of people are likely to cut spending on insurance this year as the recession bites into household budgets. In particular, it stated that consumers would reduce cover levels or cancel policies on home insurance despite the risks.
You could argue that Insurance company Hiscox have their work cut out, as they predominately offer “extraordinary home insurance” that costs more than the average insurance deal, and comes with all the trimmings.
Therefore, it is interesting to see that the strategy they have fallen back on in their new brand advertising campaign, is one of customer centricity through use of plain English. Clearly when recession is resulting in a falling market, value can be added to brands by understanding and aligning yourself with customer desires and simplifying your products even in the financial services industry.
Comments
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David HamillThere’s a certain amount of irony in that advert. Trying to use plain English as a clever marketing message rather than just telling us what they mean.
I’d be more convinced if they led with the line about 2-page policy summaries and followed up with a message about how they are a straight-talking organisation.
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Kunle SanyaoluThe advert, which is circulating in various publications, depicts a red spade with accompanying words convey the notion that Hiscox are a plain-speaking company that is as good as its word – an obvious play on the old adage of “calling a spade a spade”. This unfortunately represents a most astounding show of ignorance on the part of Hiscox as I expect that most people today are aware of the origin of that old saying which stems from the past when a ‘spade’ was actually a derogatory term used for black people.
This advert would seem, to the more moderate sensibilities, to be just a terrible faux pas but considering the research power which must fuel Hiscox engine; one wonders about the actual intent of this publication – could it in fact have a more deliberately sinister sub-text?
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Juan MirallesI’ve just checked out the origins of the word and it is not a derrogatory phrase. It is derived from an ancient greek saying!
