Unitrin Direct Auto Insurance
Client Profile and Challenge
Unitrin Direct Auto Insurance (now Kemper Direct), provides auto insurance to over half of the states in the US. With big-name competitors, the challenge for this company is o differentiate themselves through innovated marketing. They saw Second Life as a way to reach a larger customer base and prove themselves in the growing market. They came to me in early 2007 with three goals in mind:
Unitrin Direct Auto Insurance (now Kemper Direct), provides auto insurance to over half of the states in the US. With big-name competitors, the challenge for this company is o differentiate themselves through innovated marketing. They saw Second Life as a way to reach a larger customer base and prove themselves in the growing market. They came to me in early 2007 with three goals in mind:
- Become the first auto insurance company to use virtual reality to reach their customers
- Use Second Life to bring in new customers, bridging from their presence in-world to the existing website and allow potential customers to get auto insurance quotes
- Plan and carry out an event to involve the company in the immersive social network of Second Life
Solution
With a modest budget and an understanding that most people aren’t looking for car insurance in a virtual world, we sought to create an eye-catching presence that would get people talking and get people to the website. Our initial scope was to re-create the recognizable Chicago-based headquarters on a small plot of land and kiosks where users could actually start the process of getting a real-life insurance quote. Eventually the process led the user to the Unitrin website where they could complete the application. The build went well and captured the attention of the Chief Marketing Officer. They expanded the scope and budget to include organization and sponsorship of a live music event in Second Life as well. Five virtual musicians streamed their performances live from the Unitrin Direct stage, drawing quite a crowd and sparking several articles discussing the event.
With a modest budget and an understanding that most people aren’t looking for car insurance in a virtual world, we sought to create an eye-catching presence that would get people talking and get people to the website. Our initial scope was to re-create the recognizable Chicago-based headquarters on a small plot of land and kiosks where users could actually start the process of getting a real-life insurance quote. Eventually the process led the user to the Unitrin website where they could complete the application. The build went well and captured the attention of the Chief Marketing Officer. They expanded the scope and budget to include organization and sponsorship of a live music event in Second Life as well. Five virtual musicians streamed their performances live from the Unitrin Direct stage, drawing quite a crowd and sparking several articles discussing the event.
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Results
The event was covered by local news and blogs and was attended live by over 200 Second Life users. Requested quotes as well as policies increased after the event and Second Life continued to be a source of branding and new customers for Unitrin Direct for several months after the opening. Media
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