Hallmark’s Sabrina Wiewel delivered a powerful opening keynote at a recent PIMA Insights Conference on how a legacy brand stays relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Her presentation served as a valuable case study for the insurance market, showing how technology in the insurance industry can support relevance and resilience in a shifting marketplace by building a connection with customers.
Wiewel emphasized that brands need to constantly innovate, particularly in how they leverage technology to meet modern consumer expectations and ensure long-term viability. The insights shared during her keynote offer a clear roadmap for how the evolution of the insurance industry is a necessity for all players.
What Does “Staying Relevant" Really Mean in Today’s Market?
True relevance, as Wiewel explained, is more than just surviving; it's about evolving while preserving your core identity. She showed how Hallmark, a company known for greeting cards and emotional connections, has embraced new technologies to remain a powerful brand. This includes voice work in ornaments, implementing robotics in manufacturing, and enhancing its cybersecurity team.
Hallmark's forward-looking approach is a powerful lesson in adapting to modern demands in the insurance industry, which must also find a way to honor its traditional values of trust and security while adopting modern tools. For the insurance industry, this includes integrating AI for enhanced fraud detection, leveraging drones for faster, more accurate claims assessments, and using blockchain technology to secure policy data.
For insurance providers, staying relevant in business means using technology to create seamless digital experiences for a younger, digital-first audience without sacrificing the human element of service and credibility. For example, offering digital policy management via a mobile app or implementing smart chatbots for 24/7 service are now minimum expectations.
How can Insurance Providers Build Deeper Connections with Customers?
Wiewel explained that Hallmark realized its one-way transactions were making the brand feel corporate and unattainable. To adapt, their teams began immersive experiences like the Hallmark Christmas Cruise, which sold out in two hours with no advertising, and the Hallmark Christmas Experience near their headquarters location in Kansas City. These events allowed fans to interact directly with executives and movie stars, humanizing the brand, and demonstrating the power of two-way communication.
This model also provides a clear lesson for insurance providers on building a connection with customers: leverage the shared bond of the affinity group to create community-driven engagement and meaningful, personalized experiences. For an affinity group, this might mean sponsoring tailored webinars on financial literacy for new graduates, hosting local networking events for small business owners, or creating online forums specific to professional members' needs.
By engaging with members through events or unique platforms, providers can transform a transactional relationship into a loyal, long-term partnership built on emotional resonance. It’s all about finding ways to create memorable moments that reinforce the value of the partnership beyond just the policy itself.
How Can Insurance Organizations Maintain Brand Integrity While Innovating?
Wiewel’s presentation touched on Hallmark’s experience with public perception, emphasizing that a strong brand is one that customers can count on. Hallmark's success, she said, is built on a consistent, uplifting message that gives consumers hope. The brand's ability to maintain its integrity is rooted in understanding its audience and what they value.
As Wiewel noted, Hallmark's brand is so powerful that viewers will watch "love in the mountains" or "love at a bake off" because they trust the consistent, feel-good brand.
For insurance organizations, this means innovating with transparency and a clear purpose. This approach is a blueprint for the future insurance trends of listening to consumers, being transparent, and calibrating new offerings, whether in underwriting, product design, or outreach, to align with the core values that build trust and loyalty. Ultimately, the goal is to be agile enough to change but anchored enough in your values to not lose your way.
Wiewel concluded her keynote with a piece of advice centered on succession planning and legacy thinking: "Don’t teach people how you were successful. Instead, equip them for what’s coming next." This powerful takeaway underscores the importance of foresight and preparing the next generation of leaders to navigate an unpredictable marketplace.
This means embracing a forward-thinking approach that prioritizes innovation and adaptability. By empowering future leaders with the tools and mindset to anticipate challenges and create new opportunities, the affinity insurance industry can ensure long-term trust and sustainable growth. It's not about replicating past successes, but rather, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation that positions the company for the future.