THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM

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1 THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM The Challenges The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was experiencing flat policy growth in 2004 after several years of less than 2% growth. JWT took on a major challenge: to dramatically push the growth rate by increasing the number of policies in force by at least 5% per year. When the FloodSmart campaign started, the program had more than 4,600,000 policyholders; some 74% of them living in the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas where most lenders require flood insurance. At first glance, this large base of captive customers might seem to present a strong platform for growth. However, there were problems beneath the surface. A significant percentage of those who were forced to purchase insurance when closing on a home failed to renew in following years. Many (76%) of the households in high-risk areas chose not to purchase at all. And for those outside of high-risk areas, the fact that flood insurance was not a requirement was frequently interpreted as meaning that flood insurance was not needed. Achieving 25% growth in five years, with a limited budget and without sacrificing the NFIP s national program mission and cherry picking only the easiest targets, would require a finely tuned campaign that struck a balance between national presence and strategic targeting. The Solution The FloodSmart team began by analyzing the 2004 policy base from geographic, historical, market opportunity and psycho demographic perspectives to learn where current policy penetration was strongest, where opportunities for further market penetration were highest, where flooding tended to be most prevalent or serious, and what could be discovered about policyholders themselves. Fifteen markets and six states were identified for special attention based on growth opportunity. In a second round of research, propensity-to-purchase models were created to help guide direct mail efforts aimed at acquiring new policyholders or retaining existing ones. A series of focus groups, and more recently an online survey, probed knowledge of flooding, flood insurance and perceptions of flood risk. The research showed consumers harbor a number of misconceptions about flood insurance: People thought they were covered by their

2 homeowners policy, when in fact it does not. They thought flood insurance was very expensive (around $1,000), when most annual policies cost just over $100. They did not perceive water to be as damaging as other disasters, when in reality it only takes a few inches of water to cost tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. And far too many ignored or denied their risk of flood. The campaign addressed these challenges head on, using a national cable television buy to ensure that the message would be received in all 50 states, augmented by print advertising and public relations activities, monthly direct mail mailings, and an online media campaign in target markets. By the third year of the campaign, enough data had been amassed to enable an econometric study of marketing results. Since then, econometric modeling has allowed for fine-tuning of the various marketing techniques to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness. The core of the consumer strategy has been personalization of the risk and consequences of flooding, with a strong call-to-action. The campaign provides real answers to real questions: What s my risk where I live? What could happen to my couch, my furniture, my savings in a flood? How much would a flood in my living room cost me? How does flood insurance work? What do I do to get it? The marketing campaign answered these questions, addressed the misconceptions, and ultimately, drove the consumers to learn more and get protected with flood insurance. As a Federal marketing campaign, the NFIP has a responsibility to educate all Americans about flood insurance, encourage them to learn their flood risk, and connect them to an insurance agent who can help them. Central to this effort has been a national cable television campaign, reinforced by online advertising, direct mail, seasonal PR promotions, and other vehicles, all of which lead consumers to call their agent, call the FloodSmart hotline to reach an agent, or connect to the FloodSmart.gov Web site. FloodSmart.gov is an extremely rich site, offering a wealth of information about flooding and flood insurance, and a number of useful tools. Using a risk profile calculator on the site, consumers can enter in their address and find out their home s flood risk level plus the names of agents in their area and an estimate of the cost of a flood insurance policy. Another tool shows the likely cost of various levels of flooding. FloodSmart.gov has seen a steady growth in visitors totaling more than million, and more than 1.9 million homeowners have used the online tool obtain their own risk level. To maximize growth, the FloodSmart campaign augments national media with focused advertising, media relations, and targeted direct mail. This enables the campaign to capitalize on local relevance and flood-related news. To retain existing customers and lessen the churn, the program now mails these policyholders specific renewal and risk messages 75 to 45 days prior to their policy lapsing. Even in a time of increasing economic distress, an increase in customer retention has risen from an 86% retention rate in 2004 to 92.1% in 2008.

3 Also key to the overall success was agent relations strategy. Initial campaign research revealed that insurance agents could actually be significant barriers: Rather than encouraging purchase of flood insurance, they often told clients outside high-risk areas that they didn t need flood insurance. To combat agents misperception, the FloodSmart team forged relationships with insurance industry associations to communicate about flood insurance. By creating Agents.FloodSmart.gov, a secure Web site for agents, information and access to a variety of resources was provided to the agent community. The FloodSmart team also developed a co-op marketing program that reimburses agents for up to 75% of their advertising costs for running flood insurance advertising. Having the Agents.FloodSmart.gov Web site and corresponding programs in place gave the campaign a base of involved and active flood insurance educated agents to work with. The Results Over the course of the campaign s five years, the program has garnered a cumulative 26.2% net policy growth an unprecedented accomplishment. As displayed in the chart below, in the years prior to the FloodSmart marketing campaign growth for the program had been stagnant. The Core Task 1-5 lines indicate the five years of the FloodSmart campaign.

4 Weather particularly the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 contributed to a portion of the growth that incurred over the last five campaign years. However, the econometric modeling conducted mid-campaign indicated the profound effect that marketing had on overall policy growth. According to the model, marketing contributed roughly 64% to policy growth (up from 57% at the start of the campaign) and non-marketing activities (trend and weather events) contributed 36%. The chart below outlines the impact of specific mediums on policy growth, which was tracked through the response mechanism associated with each media type, and matched against policyholder data. Note: Highlighted rows indicate growth that is not attributable to marketing. After five years of the campaign, through the use of extensive research and a well-balanced marketing program that leverages multiple tactics, the FloodSmart team has achieved stellar results that have exceeded client expectations. Just as important, the NFIP is positioned to successfully weather the current economic downturn and continue to grow in the years ahead. Overall, the FloodSmart campaign has succeeded in achieving its goal through an integrated mix of advertising, consumer direct mail, media relations, stakeholder relations, and incentives

5 for insurance agents. The campaign encourages consumers to take action: learn their risk and find an insurance agent on the FloodSmart.gov Web site, contact their own insurance company, or call a hotline for a direct transfer to a flood-trained agent in their area. The messaging combines a rational appeal helping dispel misconceptions such as homeowners insurance doesn t cover flood or I m not at risk with emotional reminders of the personal consequences of flood the Oh. My. God! of ruined couches, damaged walls and wiped out savings. After five years and more than 25% growth, the NFIP has a much stronger foothold and broader customer base in place. However, challenges remain. In today s economic climate, a consumer s decision to purchase or renew flood insurance can be a tough call. Money is tight. But flood insurance can mean the difference between security and devastating loss. And the FloodSmart marketing campaign is continuing to ensure that the decision consumers make is the right one.