The future of influencers in insurance

How consumers have evolved over the last few decades: the way that they engage and purchase, and the changes to their habits and behaviours, is easy enough to see. To some extent this has impacted on the way in which financial services and insurance have developed too. But is our market ready for the next period of change?

Fuelled by widespread and growing unease over the future and our ‘shared’ element, there are huge expectations that millions will lavish attention on a new breed of role models: individuals that are outspoken and committed to driving meaningful change in the attitudes and behaviours of consumers. Many brands have invested in courting influencers, but in our market, is it possible to take it to the next level – a true connection with a customer based upon shared values?

As an agency, we spend much of our time working with clients to not only create and build brands, but also to engage them better than their competitors – but is the market ready to move beyond this? Beyond engagement/influencer to the suggested next model? Is it ready for ‘The Awokening’ – a true connection based upon shared values?

In a content and social media landscape, a new kind of influencer is emerging: one fuelled by deeply held values. They aren’t in it for ‘points, they find meaning in a quest to change the world! Trendwatching refers to these new status-seeking influencers as ‘wokefluencers’.

Why now, you might ask? Political tensions and gender equality, for example, have inspired an activist evolution with a huge range of platforms providing a space to share and organise. A change in the view of ‘power’ – most consumers trust peers above media, government or business now, so what opportunity does that present? The traditional media industry is failing to connect and get its message across. A survey at the end of last year stated that 57% of consumers say that they connect more with adverts and content featuring real people.

So, having started to identify The Awokening, the challenge to the market is how best to respond to it. Lots of ideas, lots of thoughts, but is the market ready to respond or will that be left to the ‘disruptors’?