Kevin Garvin has spent more than 30 years in the affinity industry, building a career that has spanned major shifts in technology, consumer expectations, and business models. From his early days at Aon to his leadership at Gallagher, he has seen firsthand what separates companies that thrive from those that fall behind.
These experiences ultimately led him to serve as PIMA President in 2022, where he had the opportunity to help guide the association through a changing industry landscape. And through all of those changes, one thing stood out above all: relationships are at the heart of affinity.
“When I started in the industry in 1989, the affinity business was a different landscape,” he recalls. “You had a lot more privately held smaller brokerage operations that were focused on a particular niche.” At the time, major brokers like Aon and Marsh were just starting to explore the space, and direct mail was the primary marketing channel.
Today, the industry looks vastly different. Technology has reshaped how businesses reach consumers, data analytics has made marketing more precise, and private equity firms have recognized the value of affinity-based models. Yet, despite all these changes, the foundation of the business remains the same.
“The basic premise is still there,” Kevin says. “The math behind it still works similarly, but the technology that drives it is pretty significantly different.”
His career has been shaped by this constant evolution, adapting from direct mail strategies to AI-powered marketing and real-time data analysis. Through it all, he has gained insights that remain critical for the future of affinity—lessons that every leader in this space should take to heart.
Lesson #1: Affinity Is a Long-Term Investment, not a Transaction
Many people misunderstand what makes affinity unique. While traditional sales-driven businesses rely on quick transactions, affinity is about long-term value creation. It’s a strategy that demands patience, foresight, and a willingness to invest before seeing results.
“It is a marketing business at its core,” Kevin explains. “And by that I mean salespeople are transactional. You look at a current period, and it’s ‘What are you selling this quarter?’ For marketing, it’s really much more of an investment in return model.”
This distinction is crucial. A salesperson’s focus is on closing the deal today. An affinity business, however, must think about the full lifecycle of a member—what keeps them engaged, what builds loyalty, and how to continuously offer value over time.
Kevin breaks this down further by asking two important questions, “How much money do you want to spend upfront on marketing through whatever channel or means that you have? And how are you going to, not only recover those dollars, but make more on the placement of insurance and other products to gain a profit?”
Companies that approach affinity as just another distribution model often overlook these questions that paint a bigger picture. True success in this space comes from recognizing that it’s not just about selling products—it’s about creating something that holds lasting value.
Kevin believes this is one of the biggest differentiators between those who succeed and those who don’t. Organizations that understand affinity as a long-term investment will see compounding benefits, while those that focus solely on short-term sales will struggle to build sustainable growth.
Lesson #2: Adaptability Is the Key to Resilience
The affinity industry has certainly faced its fair share of disruptions, from overcoming regulatory hurdles to navigating economic downturns and global crises. Yet through each challenge, the companies that have endured are those that embraced adaptability, seeing change not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity.
“I think there’s a couple aspects to that,” Kevin says. “One, you know, it’s just flat-out resiliency...not to just close up shop and go away.”
Kevin’s career has given him a front-row seat to some of the industry’s biggest upheavals. After 9/11, he saw firsthand the impact on his organization and the broader insurance sector. Then again when COVID-19 hit, the entire affinity business was severely affected, particularly in sectors like student health insurance, travel insurance, and rental car programs.
When universities shut down, student health programs disappeared overnight. But Kevin recalls the even greater impact he personally weathered, “We were selling travel insurance, we were selling, you know, things like discounts on hotels and rental cars. One of our larger clients was a rental car company and they went bankrupt. All of that was a significant setback. So, I would say in terms of the cataclysmic events, that was one.”
For many, these kinds of disruptions would be devastating. But Kevin has always viewed moments like these as defining tests for a business. “If your car runs off the side of the road, you’ve got to get it out of the ditch before you do anything else,” he says.
That ability to reset, reassess, and reposition is what separates companies that survive from those that don’t. Some businesses panicked and pulled back during crises. Others pivoted—adjusting their offerings, finding new ways to serve customers, and emerging stronger on the other side.
This mindset isn’t just about handling major global events. It’s about recognizing that change is inevitable in affinity. From shifting regulatory landscapes to evolving consumer expectations, the ability to adapt quickly is what keeps a company competitive.
Lesson #3: Having the Right Relationships Helps Drive the Industry Forward
If there is one message that comes up time and time again across affinity leaders, it’s the importance of relationships. The best leaders in this space recognize that their success isn’t built alone.
“I think the affinity business, just from its roots, is built on relationships.” Kevin says. “There’s this spirit in this affinity business that you don't find in a lot of different industries and it goes back to that original founding.”
It’s a lesson that many past PIMA leaders have echoed. Affinity isn’t just about products or pricing—it’s about trust, shared purpose, and knowing how to serve a specific group in a way no one else can.
For Kevin, PIMA itself is proof of this philosophy. “One thing that I think PIMA did a wonderful job in doing was providing a forum for interactions with my industry peers,” he says. “You’ve got to get out into the marketplace and interact with human beings.”
Kevin has lived this firsthand. When he left Aon after more than 20 years and joined Gallagher to build an affinity business from scratch, the first thing he did was reconnect with those relationships he had already built.
“I was starting from absolute ground zero and the very first thing that came to my mind is ‘I need to get re-engaged in PIMA’,” he recalls. “And that proved to be very fruitful for me.”
Through PIMA, he strengthened connections, expanded his network, and ultimately formed partnerships that helped drive his business’ continued growth in the affinity space.
For leaders in affinity, this is a critical lesson. Whether it’s through industry connections, client engagement, or strategic partnerships, success in this space always comes back to one thing: building relationships with those in your shared space and making every interaction count.
Affinity’s Future Lies in Expanding Opportunities Beyond Insurance
Looking ahead, Kevin sees no shortage of opportunity in affinity. “The future ahead for affinity is every bit as rosy as what our past has been, if not more,” he says. “The kinds of products that are needed in the marketplace right now, and how you can distribute those products, are really going to be that much more essential.”
For Kevin, the most successful companies will be those that embrace innovation while staying true to the core principles of affinity. Today, nearly 40% of his business comes from non-insurance products—things like travel discounts, rental car partnerships, and office supply benefits. It’s proof that affinity isn’t just about policies. It’s about creating value in new and unexpected ways.
“That’s the core of all of it,” he says. “That affinity relationship. That’s what we’re trying to optimize.”
For PIMA members, Kevin’s journey is a reminder that success in affinity isn’t about chasing the latest trend. It’s about understanding the market, adapting when necessary, and always prioritizing the right people. Because in the end, affinity isn’t just about what you sell—it’s about who you serve and how you connect with them.
Published on March 26, 2025.
PIMA® (Professional Insurance Marketing Association®) is a member-driven trade association focused exclusively on the affinity market.
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