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onsumers to review a number of providers in a short space of time through the now ubiquitous comparison website such as ‘comparethemarket.com’.

This switch to direct channels has meant that many brokers have been put out of business as they were unable to compete for main stream motor business with all insurers offering this Internet facilitated direct solution as their commission as intermediaries increased the price to the consumer.

Whilst this was going on, PGI was being squeezed in another direction in that the then Conservative Government of the 1980’s was confronting the Trade Union movement and dismantling a lot of the trade union sympathetic legislation that the Labour Government of the late 1970s had put in place. In addition to control the raging inflation of the 1970s, the Conservative Government were prepared to allow British workers to be unemployed (something we are seeing today with the squeeze on public sector budgets and hence employment at the core of the current coalition government). This state of affairs was typifiedwithin popular music of the time, with such songs as “1 in 10” by the Birmingham group UB40. Their name refers to the Tax Document workers received when they lost their jobs, a form UB40, and the commonality of being out of work to the extent of one person in ten of the then population. The result of these pressures was that Trade Union movement and membership went in to decline with membership levels falling due to redundancy and lack of union power.

Whilst PGI have survived these turbulent times they are still a one product business in that they only offer motor policies. They are beginning to consider expanding out into other insurance ranges, however, whilst motor insurance is a legal requirement for driving motor vehicles on UK roads, other insurance types such as general household insurance (insuring you house and its contents against insured risks such as Fire and theft) was not a legal requirement.

PGI has compiled this portfolio of information to enable the new Marketing consultant (you) to review the company and evaluate introducing a new home insurance product line.

MEMO

To Marketing Consultant
From Joe Palmer Marketing Manager

You were asking at the meeting the other day about what priorities the consumer places on what elements of the decision making process. I promised to look out the research we did eighteen months ago.

In fact, the priority they give to things changes depending on whether they are buying for the first time or renewing, after having had some experience of us (this can involve any form of contact –including making a claim). The following are the priorities the research threw up:

NEW BUSINESS
Price (cheapest?)
Reputation (affinity relationship seems a strong influencer)
Product
Service Issues
People

RENEWAL BUSINESS
Service Issues (empathy with their needs)
Reputation (affinity relationship seems a string influencer)
Price (value for money)
Product
People
Reputable
Interesting to note that a product detail comesmid-point in both lists and our close ties with affinity groups is still a strong attraction for consumers.

The research also showed that consumers want a company that:
- offers service (with a capita