Snag a marketing tip from Flo. (Yes, that Flo.) – SCN Encourager

Allstate’s mayhem guy and the Geico gecko aren’t too shabby, either.

And they’d probably fit right in at any NSPRA or MSPRA conference.

No doubt they’d be vocal evangelists of “going bold.”

In between signing autographs and posing with us in our selfies, they’d point out that there’s a lot in common between the insurance industry and public education.

Both entities are heavily regulated, have multiple product distribution sites, rely on thousands of credentialed providers, have been around a long time, are fairly universal from state to state, and face ever-increasing pressure from competition online.

Companies in the insurance domain are challenged to differentiate themselves from the rest of their pack.

School districts in public education share a similar predicament.

Flo, Allstate’s mayhem guy, and the Geico gecko are modern day models for “going bold” and being memorable.

Okay – consistency and a massive marketing budget give them a boost – but these three company mascots have cut through the communications fog better than most.

They have fans and followers out the wazoo on social media and they’re not even real.

I have about 1/zillionth of their following… and I’m a living, breathing, real person!

There’s a lesson here (I think), but it’s too depressing for me to contemplate.

Anyway, the question on my mind is this.

Are we willing to be as bold and “out there” as boring insurance companies are willing to be?

And, if so, how?

I wish I had a good answer.

For starters. it seems like private sector marketers typically tap into a deeper reservoir of chutzpah than we do.

Consider the brightly painted sign I saw outside of a local tire shop.

It read:  Change your life! Change your tires! Right here.

Dang, I’ve always thought that along with our homes and places of faith, our schools were the true life changers.

It never occurred to me that I could find meaning and inner peace at a tire shop.

This all has me wondering if I’m as bold in promoting my district as the tire shop is in promoting its tires.

And please don’t think I’m picking on the tire shop.

I’m just asking – Who’s the bolder marketer?

With Cindy and three daughters all zipping around from here to there in their cars, I’ve got to cut the tire shop some slack.

I’d hate to tell you how many times I’ve had to call it for help over the years.

So I’m leaving the boldness up to you.

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