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 Industry News

T R U S T E D   C H O I C E ®
Prime Your Agency’s 2006 Ad Strategy

Winston Churchill once said, "However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." Have you looked at your 2005 promotional results? Do you notice any improvements that need to be made for 2006?

Start preparing now for your 2006 advertising and promotional plans. Your agency can build exposure, create name recognition and promote its affiliation as a Trusted Choice® agency to local consumers. Take advantage of this valuable opportunity to leverage the nationwide ad flights outlined in the previous article by running local ad campaigns using the customizable TV, radio and print ads. Now is the perfect time to plan and allocate your advertising budget for the next year. The first step is to determine what media best reaches local customers. Next, contact the appropriate advertising representatives to develop a media schedule with dates, times and rates. This will give you the foundation you need to determine your advertising budget and prepare your promotional strategy.

The tag-able ads introduce consumers to Trusted Choice® by educating them on the valuable services—choice of companies, customized policies and advocacy support—your Trusted Choice® agency provides. With these ready-to-use advertising materials, it is easy to insert your agency name and contact information and run them on local TV and radio stations as well as in newspapers and magazines. To preview and order the tag-able TV and radio ads, click here. Click here to download the print ads. Also in this section you will find helpful guides about launching a local advertising campaign that will build consumer awareness of your Trusted Choice® agency. For more information about the agency customizable ads or how to conduct local advertising campaigns, contact Jeff Myers at jeff.myers@iiaba.net or Stacy Heatherington at stacy.heatherington@iiaba.net; 800-221-7917.

N A T I O N A L   L E G I S L A T I V E   C O N F E R E N C E   &     C O N V E N T I O N
Hotel Update

Have you secured your guest room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., for the week of April 23 to 28, 2006? Have you registered for the Big "I" NLC & Convention?

The Grand Hyatt Hotel (the location of the Executive Committee Meeting, National Board of State Directors and the National Legislative Conference) is sold out of rooms at the Big "I"-negotiated rates. Rooms are still being sold at the Grand Hyatt, but at higher per-night room rates, as some members have already discovered.

If you have a room but have not registered for the National Legislative Conference and Convention, please do so as quickly as possible and avoid the holiday rush.

However, please don’t despair…We have additional rooms available at an overflow hotel just one block and away from the Grand Hyatt at the Renaissance Hotel, located at 999 Ninth Street, NW. To reserve your room at the Renaissance, call 800-228-9290 or 202-898-9000, and make sure to inform the reservations agent that you will be attending the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America meeting.

The Renaissance Washington Hotel is located directly across the street from the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. The Washington, D.C. Convention Center is the location for the exposition, workshops and general sessions for the Convention portion of the program in April.

Direct questions to the Big "I" Events & Conventions Department at 800-221-7917; jeff.etzkin@iiaba.net; dana.pattini@iiaba.net.

Be Prepared for a   Disaster

If 2005 taught us anything, it is be prepared! Unfortunately, disaster can strike at any time—and in any form. Of companies that do not have a recovery plan, 85% fail shortly after their business is interrupted by a crisis. Do not let that happen to you or your clients. Attend the informative, one-day Best Practices workshop "Critical Elements of Disaster Planning and Recovery" (CE pending). This workshop will take place on April 29, 2006, from 8:30 am to 3 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington D.C.

The best way to prepare for any potential disaster is crisis management. Plan now, while you have the luxury of not being in the midst of the emergency. Having a plan ready to automatically kick into gear the moment you need it most—the moment the disaster strikes—will allow you, your staff and your clients to quickly mobilize the right resources in the right order to get you up and running as smoothly as possible. Plans minimize panic and frustration and give you a track to run on at a moment when thinking clearly may not be easy or possible.

But how do you develop such a plan? What is the process and who should be included? How often should it be reviewed and updated? Attend the "Critical Elements of Disaster Planning and Recovery" workshop. Attendees of the National Legislative Conference & Convention can attend this event at the "add on" price of $59 or as a one-day registration for only $99.  Click here to process your registration.

For more information on the Critical Elements of Disaster Planning workshop, contact Jennifer Becker at jennifer.becker@iiaba.net; 800-221-7917.

I I A B A   N E W S
South Carolina Big "I" President Steps Down After 16 Years

President Leland C. Ruef will retire Dec. 31, 2005, from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of South Carolina after more than 16 years as the association’s chief executive officer. Prior to joining the S.C. Big "I" staff in 1989, Ruef spent 19 years at Cook Ruef & Associates, a Columbia, S.C.-based advertising and public relations agency he co-founded, which became one of the state’s largest communications firms. During this time, he also worked as the public and government relations counsel for the association. Ruef used his extensive experience to ensure the S.C. Big "I" was always kept at the forefront of industry issues in South Carolina. His contributions to the association have been numerous, but most notable were his leadership in two significant legislative battles that improved the insurance and business climates in South Carolina - the major reforms to automobile insurance in 1997 and the tort reform efforts that were achieved in 2005. After his retirement at the end of the year, Ruef will continue to serve the South Carolina Big "I" as the director of state government relations on a part-time capacity.

Media   Update

The Big "I" is definitely the voice of independent agents in the media in 2005! Reporters have been turning to Big "I" experts to discuss issues ranging from terrorism insurance,to host liability, to underinsurance. Tune in Saturday, Dec. 24, to watch Big "I" CEO Bob Rusbuldt on CNN at 9:30 am on the show "Open House." Rusbuldt will discuss overinsured consumers and redundant coverage, based on the findings from the recent Trusted Choice® survey. A recent spate of TV appearances include: Big "I" Vice President of Education and Research Madelyn Flannagan on Monday, Dec. 19, on the D.C.-area CBS affiliate, live on set discussing party host liability issues for the holiday season. Sharon Emek, a Trusted Choice® agent in New York City, will be taping an interview for Business Week TV's nationally syndicated weekend show on personal finance. Emek will be discussing the recent Trusted Choice® survey on underinsured consumers. The story will air on Jan. 8 in major cities. Scott Hauge, a Trusted Choice® agent in San Francisco, did a lengthy radio interview live on Tuesday, Dec. 20, on KCBS, the Bay area's No. 1 news radio station, discussing the results of the Trusted Choice® survey.

The Big "I" also made a big impact in print media. Recently, Big "I" experts have been quoted on a wide range of topics. Rusbuldt has been quoted multiple times in South Carolina’s The State, National Underwrite, and Best Wire on former South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell’s passing, Big "I" staff member Wesley Bissett’s appointment to vice president of the National Producer Registry, and numerous times on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. Charles Symington, Big "I" senior vice president of government affairs and federal relations, was quoted repeatedly in National Underwriter, BestWire, Roll Call and Congress Daily discussing TRIA. Dave Evans, Big "I" senior vice president of retirement and financial planning, was quoted in BestWire discussing the impact of Medicare Part D on independent agents. Big "I" President William Stiglitz recently was quoted in Tennessee’s The Commercial Appeal and National Underwriter discussing the industry’s reaction to this year’s hurricane season as well as TRIA. Any questions? Contact Emily Crane at emily.crane@iiaba.net; 800-221-7917.

National Office Holiday Hours

The Big "I" National office will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26, 2005, and Monday, Jan. 3, 2006. Expect your next issue of Insurance News & Views on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2006. Have a wonderful holiday season!

B I G   " I "   M A R K E T S
New Year’s Resolution