Challenge

A 150-year old insurance brokerage is rapidly growing its footprint. However, the firm’s branding was outdated. The brokerage is a sale-led organization, and marketing is often considered an afterthought. As the competition is fierce in the insurance industry, the company needed to create a fresh positioning.

The challenge extended beyond modernizing the visual identity. The brokerage needed to understand the emotional and psychological drivers influencing how both businesses and consumers select insurance partners in an increasingly commoditized marketplace.

Provoke Insights was commissioned to develop a multiphase market research plan. The research included quantitative and qualitative phases among B2B and B2C audiences. With this in mind, the market research looked into insurance consumer insights.

Solution

1. Quantitative research among B2B and consumer insurance decision-makers

As a result, each of the two cohorts received a survey that evaluated:

• Awareness
• Brand perception
• Path to purchase
• Key strategies that resonate

With the research results provided by Provoke Insights, the data identified the specific target audience. The data also assessed what messages resonate, and how to reach new prospects through various marketing channels. The brokerage now knows its NPS score, and uses the information to determine the brand’s positioning.

The quantitative research also mapped the insurance customer journey to identify critical moments of influence, helping the brokerage better understand how awareness, trust, and perceived expertise shape consideration and conversion.

2. Qualitative B2B and consumer insurance decision-makers 

The qualitative research included both in-depth interviews and focus groups. In this qualitative phase, the research tested positioning statements and dug deeper into the decision journey.

The qualitative research incorporated behavioral science principles and System 1 thinking to better understand how insurance decisions are often driven by instinctive emotional reactions, perceived trust, familiarity, and risk reduction, rather than purely rational considerations. Through advanced moderation techniques, the study explored the subconscious emotional pathways that influence how consumers and business decision-makers evaluate insurance providers, build confidence, and ultimately make purchase decisions.

The research uncovered how the brokerage could evolve from being perceived as a traditional insurance provider into a modern strategic partner focused on guidance, protection, and long-term relationships.

Result: Insurance Consumer Insights

As a result, the brand strategy for the insurance company was a huge success! The brokerage gained a clear understanding of its target audiences, effective messaging, and competitive positioning. As a result, the data directly informed:

• A new brand identity, including an updated logo and style guide.
• A refreshed advertising campaign tailored to resonate with both B2B and B2C segments.
• A new website that presented the brand as a modern thought leader in the insurance world.
• Sales collateral materials designed to support both customer acquisition and retention.
• New strategies for cross-selling and upselling to existing customers.

The research provided the brokerage with a more emotionally compelling and differentiated market position, allowing the company to compete beyond price and product offerings alone. In conclusion, the data-driven positioning and optimized marketing approach allowed the brokerage to become more competitive. The research enabled the company to separate itself from the competition. No longer was the company seen as old and stodgy.

Instead, the brokerage emerged as a more modern, trusted, and strategically positioned brand that better aligned with the evolving expectations of today’s insurance decision-makers.

Looking to conduct market research for insurance consumer insights? Contact Provoke Insights, a full service market research firm. Provoke Insights is an expert in brand and advertising strategies in the research space.