I borrowed the headline above from a recent B-to-B article by Jeff Ernst, a principal analyst at Forrester Research. I think it perfectly underscores something I’ve been saying for a while now: It’s about the power of the idea, not the tactic. (My compadre @billhanifin has a similar mantra: Technology enables. Imagination wins.)

While most companies are now testing the social media waters with a presence on Facebook and Twitter, it’s best to have a strategic plan of attack before diving in. In the words of Ernst, “Starting with tools and tactics spells disaster. You need to start by understanding the social behaviors of your target audience and defining the big ideas that will attract and engage them.” But before discussing big ideas in social marketing…

First things first: you’ve got to show up.

To paraphrase Woody Allen, “90% of social marketing is just showing up”, and by that I mean being active on whatever social media tool you’re using. That means starting conversations, answering queries, and when necessary, defending your company or brand. To do this, you’ve got to set aside a small portion of your day to social media activities. (For me, its 20 minutes each morning.)

Next step: you need a big idea.

What’s a little more challenging is the next 10% of the equation—coming up with the big ideas that give your customers something to talk about. As Jillian Ney pointed out in a recent post on Social Media Today, “The motivation has been to collect fans and followers, which have resulted in many branded social spaces not actually providing any entertainment or value.” In many ways, a great social media campaign has much in common with a great traditional ad campaign—the best ones are centered around a big idea. To achieve “big” status, your idea needs to have the power to inform, entertain and/or engage your customers, while getting them to take a desired action, whether it’s signing up for e-mail, retweeting a message or checking in with you on Foursquare.

Here’s are three social media ideas that I think work hard for their brands.

Why? They go beyond simply blasting messages into the social media space, and actually get people to interact with the brand. They also leverage ideas that are natural tie-ins to the image and essence of the brands being promoted.

• Paula Deen and “the real women of Philadelphia”. A promotion for Philadelphia Cream Cheese, it invites customers to submit original recipes using Philadelphia brand products, with 16 finalists selected to join celebrity chef Deen in a live “Cook Off” where four grand prize winners will be chosen. While I’m not a big fan of celebrity endorsements, this one feels like a natural, since it’s easy to imagine the down-home Deen actually using Philadelphia Cream Cheese in her recipes. Importantly, the site has done a nice job of putting Paula’s ebullient personality to use through online videos and social media like a “live chat” on Twitter.
• Coleman, “the original social networking site”. Coleman, the camping gear company, has done a great job of tying their brand into social networking, starting with their clever “original networking site” positioning. A Facebook page promotes their easy-to-build tents with a “Summer Time in no Time” giveaway. There’s a Twitter page that could be a little more active, but does address the occasional customer query, plus a YouTube channel and Twitter app that fittingly let you check out “creepy campfire stories”.
• Fair Tweets from Ben & Jerry’s. Another big idea comes from Ben & Jerry’s. We think of Ben & Jerry’s as a very socially conscious brand and they prove it with Fair Tweets, which uses Twitter in a way I haven’t seen before to promote Fair Trade, a global organization that works to get better deals for farmers. It works like this: You go to the Ben & Jerry’s Fair Tweet page, and being typing in a tweet. The site then “puts your unused Twitter characters to use”, by turning any leftover characters (from your 140 character cap) into a message about Fair Trade. 33 characters left? A 33-character message is tacked on to the end of your tweet. Very cool and an ingenious way to spread a public service message.

How about you. Have you seen or worked on any big social media ideas lately?

I’m sensing a tipping point in how customers relate to loyalty program rewards, and my thinking goes like this: when customers choose which company to do business with, rewards just don’t matter like they used to.

My take is that the classic loyalty reward scheme—earning points toward “hard” rewards for repeatedly doing business with a company—has been trumped by the customer experience. In other words, today’s customer is more likely to opt for a better experience today, than accept a lesser experience that pays dividends down the road.

Lets start with a personal example. I recently cleaned out my wallet of old business and program membership cards. There, I found reward cards for both Borders and Barnes & Noble. Now, I know I have points in both of these programs, but I haven’t engaged with either brand for years. Why? I’ve given all my business to Amazon, which for me offers a better customer experience.

A recent blog by marketing guru Seth Godin points anecdotally to a similar trend toward “experience over rewards” happening in the airline industry. Godin believes that the greater the risk involved with getting a reward—one we have to save for and may never use—the less we value it.

He writes:

Frequent flyer miles, for example, began with the promise that if you flew an airline regularly for months (or even years) you’d get a free flight. The airlines oversold the miles and undelivered on the free flights, though, so the reward started to lose its perceived value—too much risk that you wouldn’t get the prize you wanted. Many of the frequent flyers I know have ceased to ’save up’ and now use their miles for upgrades, moving the benefit closer in time.

Godin’s point is backed up by a recent article in the Miami Herald titled: “Are loyalty programs worth it?” Travel writer Christopher Elliott cites several real-life examples of customers leaving airline programs, because the rewards are just too hard to earn. He points to a recent stat that seat requests for USAir reward flights had an availability rate of 10% and muses, no wonder “there are several trillion unredeemed miles floating around out there”.

In another sign of the sea change, several companies are now offering customers “loyalty rewards” with no points, or long-term loyalty, needed. Take the telecomm space, where both Verizon and Optimum have recently launched reward programs with merchant discounts, special promotions and exclusive content—with no strings attached. Prove you’re a customer and you’re in.

Why is the trend moving toward more automatic and instantaneous recognition of customers? Godin attributes the change to the Internet, stating “one of the many things the web is changing is our focus on now”. I see his point. Now more than ever, today’s consumer wants things at the speed of the Internet, whether it’s information, customer service—or a perk for being a customer.

Is this the beginning of the end of long-term loyalty rewards?

The floor is open. What do you think?

While Tom Rapsas was in New Jersey buying wiper blades at Pep Boys, I was buying shoes for my son at DSW.

The difference in our experience with the respective rewards programs at each company boils down to an essential and often overlooked element of the loyalty marketing value chain – associate training.

You can read about Tom’s experience here and see that he was drilled into signing up for Pep Boys Rewards by a front-line associate probably just doing their job and striving to meet an assigned quota. The story reminded me of the “old days” when retailers instructed their people to ask for customer telephone numbers during the check out process, a tactic made famous by Radio Shack and eventually neutralized when the rules around “reverse append” of telephone numbers were changed.

I used to enjoy answering the question with “sure, if you let me know what you need it for”.  Way too many associates had no idea why they were asking for phone numbers, and were left to mutter something about offers while uncomfortably trying to wrap up the transaction. None of this is meant to ping associates, who are generally asked to multi-task (before it became popular) while residing near the lower end of the pay bands.

The responsibility falls to the business and marketing people who design rewards programs. After investing heavily in planning, data segmentation, technology, and marketing materials, the last mile of associate training can be seen as “whatever”. Failing to educate and equip the associate with enough information to enthusiastically promote the program creates a potentially monstrous pothole on the road to success.

How was my experience with DSW Rewards?  Surprisingly fantastic, as a matter of fact.

I was taken off guard when asked if I was a member of the program, but before I was able to fully respond, the energetic cashier outlined the simple way the program functions and made it clear to me that “if my wife ever shops at DSW”, the program is a no-brainer to pay back. I didn’t need to hear much else.

The associate quickly entered a few data points (not my email, you get a bonus for that) into the ePOS screen and I was off with a follow-up marketing piece in my hand.  DSW’s program was easy to understand, showed good value, and even if it’s not “my” store, I knew that our family would benefit. I gave up the same information as Tom did in the Pep Boys store but left feeling like I just made a good deal.

Isn’t that the way loyalty marketing is supposed to work?

I’m not a car guy.

So why does Pep Boys want me in their loyalty program?

I was standing in line at my local Pep Boys auto parts store the other day. Not that I’m a car guy. I usually pay my trusty neighborhood mechanic Larry to do everything car-related.But the wife needed some new windshield wipers, and I figured this was something I could handle.

Anyway, the guy in front of me in line was buying a roof rack and the cashier asked him if he was in the Pep Boys rewards program. My quick read: this guy wasn’t a car guy either, just a guy going on vacation. His response, as expected, was “no”.

Figuring the cashier would just move on, or hand him a “take one”, she instead asked him for a bunch of personal info on the spot - name, address, phone #, e-mail address – handed him a membership pamphlet and viola, he was enrolled in the program.

I’m next up in line and she goes through the same routine:

“Are you in the Pep Boys rewards program?”

“No.”

“Can I have your name…address…telephone number…”

There was no asking me if I wanted to join the program, which I didn’t – I mean I go into an auto parts store about once a year at best. There was also no concern that with only one cashier on duty, the line behind me was now a good five-deep.

The Pep Boys program? Well, it seems okay, with some nice added benefits like free flat repair and discount towing. But I could quibble. The program is a straight cash back rewards program with funding at a fair but flat 5% for all customers.

Pep Boys might consider:

• A mix of rewards, so the program isn’t all about the money
• A tiered approach that offers incremental rewards when I hit a specific spend level
• Special bonuses and perks for its very best customers
• Customer Engagement is the new focus of loyalty sponsors. Too many programs enroll, but don’t engage.

My bigger concern though is the auto-enroll aspect of the program, whereby you’re enrolled whether you want to be in the program or not. The long-term effect of auto-enrollment is detrimental. Because I didn’t raise my hand to join, the chances of my actual participation are greatly diminished. And ultimately, when the program participation numbers come in, it won’t reflect well on the results.

As you might have surmised, I’m a prime example of a customer who should not have been auto-enrolled. Loyalty program or not, I may never set foot into a Pep Boys again. You see, those windshield wipers I bought—they’re still sitting in the trunk of my car. They need a special adapter to be installed, and I’d just as soon have Larry the mechanic do it.

Like I said, I’m not a car guy.

Editor’s note: Tom Rapsas may not be a “car guy”, but he knows his way around the mechanics of a good loyalty program. After visiting the Pep Boys home page, I had to scroll below the fold to find a small logo directing visitors to the program.  Not sure why they want to enroll eveyone at POS and then make it tough to find the goodies online. If you’ve got it (a loyalty program), you might as well flaunt it!

If you’re like me and work on the creative side of the business, you’d like to believe that good communications and a healthy social dialog are the keys to building relationships and ensuring customer loyalty.

But the fact is, your company is often only as good as the people you have on the front line. One bad experience either in-store, on the phone, or via an online chat, can often tarnish even your best marketing efforts.

Take  Comcast. Is there any company whose customer service reputation swings more wildly across the great/terrible spectrum? Comcast has been both vilified for its customer service via the infamous “Comcast must die” Web site and glorified for its prompt @comcastcares replies on Twitter.

Which brings me to a recent personal encounter I had with the cable conglomerate. I’m a decade long Comcast customer and in April I found that two channels we occasionally watched at home, MSNBC and AMC, had disappeared from our two televisions that did not have a dedicated cable box. I called 1-800-COMCAST and was told that I needed a digital converter to continue receiving these channels and could pick one up for free—by going to the dreaded local Comcast office.

What’s most off-putting about this office isn’t the untouched-since-the-‘70s interior or the unsmiling, laconic customer service reps—it’s, I kid you not, the counter-to-ceiling wall of thick bullet-proof glass the reps sit behind. It’s the kind of set-up you see on TV in the visiting rooms of prisons, complete with vented portholes through which you talk to the person opposite you. It serves as a quite literal barrier to developing any kind of customer rapport, and gets you wondering why they need this kind of security in the first place.

So anyway, I went to the office to get my free converters—only to have the customer service rep behind the wall of glass tell me, with an unmistakable I-hate-my-job vibe, “we’re out of them, you need to come back in January”. A 9-month wait!

From the parking lot I made a call to 1-800-COMCAST to complain and received an apology. I was told that the converters were on order and should in fact be ready in September, a slightly more tolerable 5 months away.

Fast forward to a few days ago. Using Instant Chat at the Comcast Web site, I check to see if the converters might be ready. After being passed from one associate to another more versed with the converters, I’m informed they’re now available and I can have them shipped to my home. Yes! Only, after confirming my address, I’m told that, oops, they can’t mail the converters to my area (for a reason never explained) and that I need to contact my local office to see if they have them.

“Wait a second,” I chat back, “I don’t want to contact my local office, that’s why I’m talking to you.” A canned response is sent back to me to the effect, “I am so sorry about your situation. I know you’re frustrated, but you need to contact your local office. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

Yes, for starters you can drop the canned faux sincerity. Then, you can break the rules and ship me my free converters. OR you can contact the local office for me and see if they have the converters. After all, I started our conversation by telling you that I was very tempted by a money-saving Verizon triple play offer I was receiving in the mail 3 or 4 times a week. Hint: You’re in danger of losing me as a long-time customer!

Funny thing is, I call 1-800-COMCAST an hour or so later on an unrelated Internet issue. And, after addressing the problem, the customer service rep quickly switches subjects. “Sir, I see you’re having an issue getting digital converters. Can I have them mailed to you in the next two weeks?” Shocked, I reply “Yes, you can, thank you.”

Sometimes Comcast offers terrible customer service. Sometimes Comcast offers great customer service. And sometimes you get to see both of them in the very same day. But my guess is, most customers only see one side. And if it’s the terrible side, they don’t stay customers for very long.

(Now, let’s see if I get my converters!)

Tom Rapsas is an independent Creative Director/Writer/Strategist. He can be reached at tomrapsas@gmail.com and via Twitter @tomrapsas

(Another reason your company needs a social media presence.)

Microsoft sucks. So does The Home Depot. Ditto Dell, Target and Dominos.  And while it may not surprise you to hear that Wal-Mart sucks, you may not have heard that beloved brands like Apple, Ikea and Starbucks suck as well.

The fact is that despite you or your company’s best intentions, somebody out there thinks you suck. In fact, if you’re one of the companies listed above, there are multiple people that think you suck. And they’re not shy about telling people what they think.

I know this because I went to Google Blog Search and typed up every company name I could think of with the word “sucks“ after it. As you may have guessed, it’s just about impossible to find a company that someone somewhere doesn’t think sucks.

It’s something that my friend Bill Hanifin refers to as negative passion. While every company yearns for passionate fans and brand advocates, the flip side is there are people out there who don’t like your brand and won’t think twice about attacking it via a blog entry, or even an entire Web site.

Of course, after reading many “your company sucks“ postings, there are at least a few cases where the rants seem to have some merit. But there are even more examples where the attacks feel mean-spirited, or have little substance behind them, like one posting that says Wal-Mart sucks because “they don’t have big Pyrex measuring bowls“. Huh?

The net: You need to pay attention to what people in the social media sphere are saying about you, your company or your brand. If there are legitimate issues or concerns, address them. If there are problems that can be solved, fix them. And if there is misinformation out there, by all means do all you can to counter it.

These days, if you’re not paying attention to what’s happening in the social media space, you’re not just standing still – you’re losing ground. There are people out there saying bad things about you, but there’s no easier way to neutralize the negative passion than to jump into the social media sandbox and beat them at their own game.

A final note: For some great info on setting up a listening station to hear what people are saying about you, check out Chris Brogran’s post on how to  “Grow Bigger Ears”

Earlier this year, I blogged on Loyalty Truth about the Ford Fiesta Movement. As you may recall, the Ford motor company gave new Fiesta automobiles to 100 social media-savvy drivers for six months—hoping they would post videos and blog about the Fiesta, to build some buzz around the car’s early-2010 launch.

I really hadn’t heard much about the promotion since then, probably for good reason. None of the participants are within my social media universe and a search of Google News reveals the Movement has gotten scant post-launch coverage from the offline or online press, aside from a few well-placed stories.

They popped up on the TV show Extra when host Mario Lopez helped launch the Movement’s “Social Activism Month” by donating items to a local charity while riding in a 2010 Ford Fiesta. They also placed a new Fiesta with a writer from Motortrend who made the equivalent of a head nod to the Movement while taking the car on a successful 600-mile trek through the mountains of Utah and Colorado.

Yet, while each of these stories gave the 2010 Fiesta some valuable press time, none featured any news about the participants themselves. What were those 100 Fiesta Movement social media mavens up to?

As it turns out, the 100 so-called “agents” in the program are not hard to find. Ford hosts a Fiesta Movement Web site with links to all 100. There are Live Feed pages that selectively highlight the latest tweets, videos and blog posts provided by the program participants. And a quick glimpse of these pages makes the program look like a buzz-worthy success with constant updates pouring in. It’s all Fiesta all the time!

But this got me wondering: how was this social media experiment working in the real world? Might I be exposed to the Ford Fiesta Movement message if I never visited the Ford Web site but was a quasi-follower of one the Movement agents?

As a quick test, I began looking specifically at about a dozen different agents’ blogging sites. What I discovered is that I had to do some real digging (or in this case, scrolling) to find news about the Fiesta or the Movement.

That’s no surprise really. The 100 agents in the Fiesta Movement were chosen because they already had a social media presence. And it appears that most involved are again writing about the things that made them Movement-worthy in the first place. The extreme spots dude is again writing about extreme sports. The hip-hop girl is out clubbing again. And just like in the real blogging world, one guy has seemingly packed it in, without a single post on anything in over 3 months.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this lack of Fiesta news, as Movement participants themselves have reported they are under no pressure from Ford to comment favorably on the cars. (Although there does appear to be an attempt by Ford to “sponsor” conversations, as one agent blogger mentions picking up 8 points for a new post.)

Still, I imagine the folks at Ford are feeling a little underwhelmed by the participation of some of the chosen 100. I also wonder if Ford’s 100 agent pool is deep and wide enough to reach beyond a small sliver of what I perceive to be the millennial target market. With hundreds of thousands of bloggers and video posters on the scene these days, it strikes me there’s a certain self-centered, party-on sameness to the Fiesta Movement agents.

But, bottom line: I think we have to give Ford an F-250 truckload of credit here for going where no other major marketer has gone before. This truly is a groundbreaking effort and a sign of things to come. More and more, social media will be used as a customer acquisition tool and will be every bit as important as other online and offline efforts when it comes to launching a major product.

Looking ahead, I see two key questions that still remain to be answered:

• Will the online activity turn into offline success? Despite its noble effort, I’m wondering if the Fiesta Movement has made a big enough impression for a national product launch. Will it really deliver bodies to the showroom? Ideally, Ford is on top of this and is already getting a read as to whether this experiment is working or not. I also wonder if it wouldn’t make sense to feature the participants in more traditional advertising efforts, including print, banner or TV spots, that tell people about the Fiesta Movement and point them to the site.
• Was launching the program a full year before product launch a bit premature? While the new Ford Fiesta is already the number two car in Europe, it won’t be released until early 2010 here in the states. And with the promotion scheduled to be over by late 2009, I wonder if they should have started the effort closer to the car’s release date. By early next year, the Fiesta Movement’s many tweets, blogs and video and picture postings may already seem like old news.

Look for another update to come in a few months.

After more than 100 posts I can say that Loyalty Truth has achieved a degree of permanency.

Founded on my own conviction and commitment, it is a welcome relief to have help. I express my gratitude to guest contributors Tom Rapsas, Jim Kuschill, Brian Kryzanski, and Mike Capizzi. They have each written about aspects of Loyalty Marketing where they have particular expertise and collectively they represent a growing foundation of support for this blog.

With so much to write about in the evolving Loyalty Marketing industry, the opportunity is here to establish some themes to follow for the future. Keep your eye out for articles categorized as “Loyalty 201“, “Loyalty in Any Language“, and “Loyalty Futures“. In addition, we’ll continue to document instances of the “Loyalty Asterisk“, to address the gotchas and tripwires of Loyalty Marketing.

• Loyalty 201 will address how essential elements of the business are evolving to meet the needs of increasingly empowered and knowledgeable customer groups. Here you will read about new directions in rewards, communications, and marketing technology which drive higher ROI for loyalty program sponsors. I’m assuming that my readers understand the basics and are ready to move on to consume solid food!
• Loyalty in Any Language will share learning from international markets. The influence of culture, custom, and unique business environments on the execution of effective marketing strategy is undeniable. These posts will provide a vital resource for any company with cross border interests. I will not only share my own first hand experiences working outside of our borders, but will showcase loyalty leaders from key markets around the world.
• Loyalty Futures will take inventory of just about anything that can be found in the crystal ball of Customer-centric strategic marketing. Where innovation in building brand loyalty and changing customer behavior is observed, we’ll share it here. Lots of big companies are trying to connect the dots of social media, millennials, digital CRM, and profitability and Loyalty Truth will makes its contribution to the cause.

According to what I read in the blogosphere, my approach to Loyalty Truth is somewhat non-conforming.

• I am driven by substance, not frequency of posting. Though I manage to get a dozen or so posts up each month, I have yet to publish a “throw away” article and hope I never do. There is so much change underway in Loyalty marketing that my inventory of “posts-to-do” is outpacing my time to properly research and post. This approach should translate into high quality posts that are almost mini case studies by themselves. You can be the judge.
• Balancing quality and readability is the next challenge. Beyond a certain length, you won’t spend time to read what’s posted, so I am saving some bigger topics for white papers to be published on the Hanifin Loyalty website.
• Lastly, I have to admit that while writing is an enjoyable pursuit, I publish Loyalty Truth with a purpose. The perspective, opinion, and experience that is baked into each post is meant to offer a teasing glimmer of insight into the value that Hanifin Loyalty brings to its clients. We confidently offer the highest level of strategic advice as well as exacting project management and tactical execution services to make sure clients reach their profitability targets. Give us a chance to serve as your portal for top-tier decision making. You’ll find there is still quite a value to be found in the dollar these days.

I hope you will enjoy these new features and spread the word about Loyalty Truth.

Enjoy the journey….

Back in late-April, on these very Web pages, I called out the Saturn car company for its failure to engage with its customers.  As rumors circulated about the company’s potential sale—or imminent demise—I pointed out there was a glaring lack of information coming from the company’s ImSaturn social network site, a place where many true brand fans would go to first for breaking news.

In my story, I cited a crucial two-week period in April when there was just a single posting on the ImSaturn site, compared to 20 entries at a site called Saturnfans. This fan blog was reporting all the news and rumors it could get its hands on while urging loyalists to “Save Saturn”. As I said in my post, it looked like “the brand fans are more passionate about saving the company than the brand employees.”

Well in the past couple of months, coinciding with Saturn’s sale to the Penske Automotive Group, I’m happy to report that things have changed. Since returning from its near death experience, Saturn has made a couple of moves that deserve to be applauded.

Good Move #1: They showed they were listening

After the initial blog post, a Saturn executive in Detroit took the time to write in a comment to Loyalty Truth. He seemed genuinely concerned as he said: “We will take your observations to heart and examine if we can improve the information flow on the site. We were the first auto brand to have this type of site, and it has been a learning process.”

This comment showed that the folks at Saturn had their ears to the ground and were listening—and just as importantly, responding. And while talking to Loyalty Truth, apparently our Saturn exec also had a few words with the folks manning the ImSaturn site, because another change became apparent.

Good Move #2: They started talking again

As a current Saturn owner, once the sale was announced I received a letter in the mail updating me on the news and “this new chapter in the Saturn story.” Upbeat and personal, it gave me a sense of promise and enthusiasm that was missing from the press reports.

This sent me to the ImSaturn site to see what was happening there and I came away impressed. The “Saturn team” who posts entries on the blog had picked up their output considerably, including updates on the sale and its aftermath. They also added a pleasing mix of comments from Saturn fans who were genuinely excited about the brand’s second life.

The Net: While Saturn still has an uphill climb, at least they’re back in the game and engaging with their customers again. Hopefully, they can maintain this new found passion and commitment as they move forward.

It just goes to show you that in social media, as in life, it’s never too late to make things right.

Tom Rapsas is an independent Creative Director, Writer and Strategist. He can be reached at tomrapsas@gmail.com

Until very recently I worked on the acquisition side of an auto insurance account, where  these days it’s all about the price—with virtually every auto insurer claiming they can save you $400 or $500 (which makes you wonder, if everyone can save you money, which companies are ripping people off?).

But perhaps the most eye-opening aspect of auto insurance marketing is the lack of respect paid to retention. After all, if you believe the accepted adage that for every $10 spent to acquire a new customer it takes only $1 to retain an existing customer—why are auto insurers plowing so many millions into acquisition and spending next to nothing on retention?

It’s especially important to have a retention strategy these days because of the changing relationship between auto insurance buyer and seller. Once upon a time, most drivers had insurance agents who they had a one-to-one relationship with—but now, with independent agents becoming a shrinking breed, and with the rise of direct-to-consumer providers like Geico, 21st Century and Esurance, times have changed. Most customers have no interaction with their insurance company, unless they have an accident or are mailing in their premium check.

Seems to me it’s time for auto insurers to take a fresh new approach to retaining customers, one that begins building a relationship well before the auto policy is about to expire and the customer can be swayed by the latest “you can save hundreds” TV commercial.

Thought one: Adding a message on a bill insert, while a no-brainer, will do absolutely zilch to build a relationship with best customers. What’s needed is a more robust approach that includes a regular stream of print and/or e-mail communications with relevant information drivers can use like:

• Invitations to online or offline tutorials on choosing the coverage right for me and my family
• Info on safety recalls and maintenance tips for my particular vehicle
• Safety advice for teenage and senior drivers on my policy
• Reminders of why my insurer is the right choice and what it offers that the competitors don’t

Thought two: Start engaging via social networking tools. With people so often confused by their auto policy details (collision? comprehensive? low or high deductible?), it seems like there’s an opening for an auto insurance provider to become the online source for honest, helpful information. So who will step up?

While some auto insurers are moving in the right direction by gravitating toward the communications opportunities offered by Web 2.0, many of the executions are weak at best and some companies have chosen to do nothing at all.

A few quick observations:

• Market leader Geico barely exists in the Web 2.0 world unless you want to count a blog for the Miss Geico offshore racing boat—and a few “Screw Geico” entries from unhappy customers out in the blogosphere. Kash, the bug-eyed stack of money that stars in Geico’s goofy TV commercials, does have a Twitter account—but has just a single tweet over the last 4-months. (Kash may be the quiet type, but one tweet?)
• Esurance icon Erin, animated hero of the company’s television commercials, has her own blog on the company Web site—but after a fast start in 2005, it seems like Erin may be all blogged out—she has a woeful total of three blog entries in 2009. (Is she busy on a TV shoot? Have her write from the set!)
• Then, there’s Allstate. Very active with Twitter, they appear to be doing a bang-up job of responding quickly to customer comments and concerns. They also appear to be the only insurer to set up an online community which can be found at goodhandscommunity.org. The community gets an A for effort, but the execution?

In my next post, I’ll give it a full review … to be continued.

Tom Rapsas is an independent Creative Director, Writer and Strategist. He can be reached at tomrapsas@gmail.com.