IMC Strategy for Westfield Insurance's Digital Growth

Introduction to Westfield Insurance

The way people view, compare, and purchase insurance is changing. More and more customers are using the internet to compare and buy insurance products. Westfield Insurance and its agents and agencies need to understand this trend, as it opens up an entirely new group of potential customers—especially the younger generation.

For this purpose, Westfield and its agencies must adapt their marketing and communication channels to target this new market. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is necessary to build and establish the company brand online. Since potential customers use the internet extensively, it is best suited for the company to develop an IMC strategy that creates a strong presence across digital platforms. In this way, the company and its agents would be able to tap into new customers and use the internet—especially social media—for marketing purposes effectively.

Westfield Insurance, based in Ohio, U.S., is one of the oldest non-public companies in the region, operating in the insurance and banking sector. The company claims to be completely customer-oriented, with business strategies aimed at garnering customer satisfaction.

The company also attaches great importance to innovation and, coupled with a forward-looking vision, strives to be the leader in its field by capitalizing on the opportunities presented by an ever-changing business environment. Its strategy is to build long-term relationships with employees, business partners, and customers, thereby pursuing a model of sustainability.

Westfield employs an experienced team of professionals who provide objective and credible solutions for customers, striving to ensure peace of mind. The company's vision states that it always undertakes a pledge to protect the interests of its customers. Westfield banks on its knowledge of the business and values trust and integrity as the supreme qualities that give it respect and stewardship in the marketplace.

Despite being a non-public company, Westfield is one of the largest employers in Medina County, Ohio. The company is engaged in the business of commercial and personal insurance across 21 states, as well as surety services in all 50 states. This is achieved through an integrated network of more than 1,200 agents. With more than $3.9 billion in consolidated assets and net written premiums exceeding $1.7 billion, Westfield stands out as one of the players with the largest contract performance bonds in the state of Ohio.

At the core of the company's values is its pledge to "do what is right" for its customers, independent agency partners, and employees. The company stresses an inclusive policy—whether for its customers, employees, or agents. In recent years, Westfield has innovated through research and is providing products that are needed and expected by both customers and agents. These innovations have resulted in a band of satisfied customers, delivering sustainable business performance to the company.

The process of coordinating the various aspects of branding and image-building by companies is defined as integrated marketing communications (IMC). According to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, IMC is "a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and maximum communication impact" (Aaaa.org, 2015). The aim of IMC is to create a promotional strategy that is seamless for customers as they move from one aspect of the marketing mix to another. In this form of strategy, the core brand image is reinforced through different channels of marketing communication that function together in a seamless manner, rather than in isolation.