The General® Insurance Evolves Brand To Drive Growth Among New Audiences

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The General® Insurance announced today the launch of a brand refresh and new ad campaign to reflect The General's true identity: a quality insurance company that's been saving people money for nearly 60 years. The General is tackling barriers head-on to address misperceptions among new audiences who don't believe The General is an insurance company for them – largely due to perceptions around the advertising. With the help of a little star power and a healthy dose of humor, the new ad campaign paints an honest picture of how consumers see the brand and acknowledges shortcomings to rebuild trust and credibility. Launching in February, the campaign features brand ambassador and loyal customer, Shaquille O'Neal, along with actor/comedian Craig Robinson and Shaq's co-hosts from "Inside the NBA'', Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, Jr. 

Yet, the brand refresh isn't a turnaround story – it's a defined path forward to accelerate growth among new audiences. The General has a loyal customer base, an 80 percent national brand awareness and has always been a quality insurance provider, but the past advertising has not always demonstrated this. "This is an exciting time for The General," said Tony DeSantis, The General Chief Executive Officer. "We are well-positioned in the marketplace to drive growth and expand our customer base as we evolve our brand and bring the quality of who we are and what we stand for to the forefront."

"Extensive consumer research, data and fearless listening informed this brand refresh, and helped us meet our consumers where they are. We're thrilled to launch this new advertising campaign and more effectively communicate that we are a quality company worthy of consumers' trust," said The General Chief Revenue Officer, Elicia Azali.  

Recognizing the financial challenges many Americans face, The General remains heavily invested in providing quality insurance at affordable rates, particularly for customers that are financially disadvantaged. "As an organization, we are committed to providing a quality end-to-end experience, and this new marketing effort shows how our company puts our customers first," said The General's Chief Operating Officer, Tiku Raval.

The General selected Highdive, an independently owned, full-service creative agency and Ad Age's Small Agency of the Year, to join them on this journey to evolve their brand. With numerous accolades to their name, Highdive provokes audiences to think differently about brands and the new ad campaign with The General does exactly that by addressing marketing challenges and brand misperceptions head-on. "As our first assignment with The General, we felt a great sense of duty to get this right and bring new, quality creative that more accurately depicted the kind of quality company they are," said Highdive Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer, Mark Gross.

The ad campaign is launching ten films that will roll out on TV, digital and social media platforms beginning in early February. For more information and to see the new spots visit TheGeneral.com and follow the brand on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. 

About The General InsuranceThe General Automobile Insurance Services, Inc. (The General®) is a licensed insurance agency and subsidiary of PGC Holdings Corp. (PGC), which is wholly owned by American Family Mutual Insurance Company. Through its insurance company subsidiaries and their predecessors, PGC has been writing automobile insurance since 1963, serving customers who may find it difficult to obtain insurance from other carriers at a reasonable rate. Visit www.thegeneral.com or www.thegeneral.com/shaq; follow The General on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

About HighdiveFounded in 2016, Highdive (highdiveus.com) is an independently owned, full-service creative agency headquartered in Chicago. Built for brands that want best-in-class creative but don't want the baggage that usually comes with it, the agency has a simple mission: to create the healthiest client and agency relationships in the world. On a rapid growth trajectory, Highdive was named 2019 Advertising Age Small Agency of the Year (Midwest, Gold) and 2020 Advertising Age Small Agency of the Year (Gold, National). Highdive also ranked #1 on Adweek's Fastest Growing Agencies of 2020 List, and was awarded Adweek's 2020 Breakthrough Agency of the Year. Highdive placed in the top spot on USA Today Ad Meter two years in a row with Rocket Mortgage "Certain is Better'' spots ranking #1 and #2 in 2021 and Jeep "Groundhog Day" spot in the 2020, which was also nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Commercial category.

Contact: Alysa Winkler, [email protected]

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SOURCE The General Insurance