Research Outline

Auto Insurance in the US.

Goals

To understand the taglines, value propositions, and television ad positioning of the largest six to seven auto insurance companies in the United States.

Early Findings

OVERVIEW

  • As of 2018, the largest auto insurance companies in the United States - based on market share - are State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, USAA, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers.
  • Respectively, their shares of the market are 17.07% (State Farm), 13.45% (Geico), 11.01% (Progressive), 9.22% (Allstate), 5.89% (USAA), 4.79% (Liberty Mutual), and 4.27% (Farmers).

STATE FARM

  • State Farm's tagline is "like a good neighbor, State Farm is there".
  • The company has utilized this tagline in their television and other advertisements for decades, including in this Challenger television ad from 2019.
  • This tagline plays a significant part in the company's value proposition, which presents them as being "neighborly" and caring. These values have been incorporated not only into the company's external presentation, but also within the company itself. For example, employees are highly encouraged to volunteer.
  • Other recent examples of State Farm's television ads include "Kim's Discount", and "Helium". Both ads make use of the "like a good neighbor" jingle, which is now so recognizable that most television ads for the company don't use the words themselves.

GEICO

  • Geico's tagline is "15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance", presenting the company's value as monetary savings.
  • This tagline is repeated in all of the company's television and other advertisements.
  • Several examples of Geico's television ads include "Hump Day", "The Gecko Visits a Diner", "Spy", and "Antonio", all of which include the company's tagline "15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance".

LIBERTY MUTUAL

  • Liberty Mutual's tagline is "only pay for what you need", boasting the company's value proposition of helping customers to save money by allowing them to choose the specific coverage options they want and need.
  • The company's tagline can be heard and seen in many of their recent television ads, including "Dealership", "Stakeout", and "Zoltar Bumper".

FARMERS

  • Farmers' tagline in their television ads is "we are farmers", followed by a vocal jingle "bum ba dum bum bum bum bum". This tagline and jingle can be heard in all of their television ads.
  • Some examples of their recent television ads include "Hidden Drone", "Rock and Wreck", and "Billy Goat Ruffians", all of which include the above tagline and jingle.
  • While not apparent in the tagline itself, the company's value proposition is that they are there to help when things go wrong in live. "Farmers not only prides itself on helping you plan wisely for the unexpected, but also on helping restore order when it occurs, so you can keep moving along the road of your life’s plans."