Separating your agency from the thundering herd 

One way to do it is with a distinctive symbol---a service mark that is yours and yours only.  A good symbol becomes the focal point for print ads, especially small newspaper ads and telephone directory ads. It also is an instant identifier for your Web site and your TV spots. Often, symbols are accompanied by a short positioning line that tie-in. 

Proof of the pudding? Take this test. 

What symbols are identified with these companies? 

How many can you match up?  Answers at the end of this blog entry. 

1. John Hancock Life Insurance 

2. John Deere 

3. Allstate 

4. Travelers Insurance 

5. Apple Computer 

6. Greyhound Bus Line 

7. Grant Thornton Accounting & Auditing

 8. GEICO 

9.  KFC 

10. Perdue Chicken  

Symbols tangibilize services 

Many of the companies in our little test are service companies, insurance companies.  Unlike products, services are intangibles. The use of symbols is one marketing technique that can help convince prospects that an insurance company or agency is the one they need! 

Do you have a strong symbol now? Shouldn’t you, if you don’t?  How about a Positioning Line that says why your agency is a better choice?  Have you thought about becoming a highly-visible spokesperson for your agency? 

Answers  1. John Hancock signature on Declaration of Independence;  2. Deer with positioning line: Nothing runs like a deer;  3. Hands with line, The good hands people;  4. Famous red umbrella connoting distinctive coverage;  5. Apple with a bite out of it (read byte out of it!);  6. Greyhound racing across length of bus, i.e. fast service  7. Red rose to indicate quality attention: also, note tie-in with “thorn” in accounting firm’s name!;  8. Take your pick: the gecko or the cavemen;  9. The Kentucky Colonel, a carryover from the days when founder Colonel Sanders was spokesperson;  10. Another spokesperson approach: originally Frank Perdue with his “it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken” line; now his son expounding about his obsession with chicken.