As I confessed in a recent post, due to my questionable approach to parenting, the TV is on faaaaaaaaaar too much at my place.

And as I also noted in that post, a lot of network TV watching means seeing waaaaaaay too many commercials.

And while our boob tube’s high-usage rate is mostly attributed to my 9 yr old son, my wife and I still catch a lot of cathode-ray shrapnel.

The Insurance Carriers Character Wars

This means I’ve been immersed in what I’ve dubbed the “Insurance Carriers Character Wars.” This refers to all the major national insurance companies running ad after ad each featuring their own quirky character (and in some cases, a whole cast of characters)…

State Farm has Jake, the affable insurance agent.

Progressive has the white smocked and fun-loving, Flo (a former stand up comedian), and her growing cast of oddball cronies.

Geico has the adorable, too smart for his own good, Geko lizard.

Farmers has their roving band of insurance adjusters that behave like a group of attending physicians, assessing insurance claims as though they’re evaluating patients in the hospital.

Allstate has its wantonly destructive Mayhem character.

And Liberty Mutual has its ’70s police detective duo, which partners a cheesy, mustachioed dude with a llama.

Why All the Focus on Uber-Quirky Characters?

How come all of these companies are plowing big bucks into campaign after campaign to cultivate overtly quirky characters (besides the fact that can afford to)?

Because it’s their best chance to make a buck.

How so?

In essence, these companies are all the same…

Each offers roughly the same coverage. Sure, they might claim to have unique features or “special” services. But if you surveyed each carrier, you’d find they all offer basically the same coverage.

And of course, they all claim to offer “the lowest price!” But here again, if you investigate, you’ll find the price is all basically the same.

So what’s REALLY separating these samey-samey insurance companies? Flo, Jake, a cute Geco, Mayhem, and the rest of the gang.

In other words, these characters serve as each company’s chief differentiating factor. And in turn, these characters serve as a proxy for each company’s personality.

Personality = Emotional Connection

The aim is to make an emotional connection with prospects through these characters. A connection intended to foster the trust that leads to a sale.

And considering all the other factors are basically equal — coverage, service, price — it’s a smart play.

It also provides a VERY important marketing lesson for professional service business owners…

What Sets You Apart From Your Competitors?

There’s likely no shortage of competitors in your field. And the type of services you offer, the quality of those services, and the prices you charge are all comparable to your competitors.

So what makes you different?

Give up?

It’s your unique personality.

And establishing your unique personality is how you put the Know, Like + Trust factors to work for your business.

How so?

Asserting your unique personality is how you make a connection with a would-be prospect (Know), develop a rapport (Like), and cultivate the trust that (when the timing is right) generates a sale.

Research on consumer habits revealed in Fascinate: How to Make Your Brand Irresistible, by top-flight marketing consultant and bestselling author, Sally Hogshead, perfectly illustrates the Know, Like + Trust factors in action…

What’s a Prospect’s Biggest Decider… Price, Quality, or Likability?

According to customer survey data noted in Fascinate, 90% of consumers were more likely to work with a business they liked than another business that offered similar services at a lower cost.

Over 80% of consumers were more likely to work with a business they liked than another business that provided better quality service.

And again, over 80% of consumers were more likely to work with a business they liked than another business that provided better quality services at a lower price.

As you can clearly see — likeability is PARAMOUNT!

And likeability is based on making a personal connection. Or, in other words, a personality connection.

Now, the question is…

What is your business’s unique personality?

If you can’t answer this question… We should DEFINITELY chat! 310.466.7893 | ryan@ryananys.com