NEWS: Norwich Union enters direct market with QBO

Norwich Union has called in The Quentin Bell Organisation to handle its

entry into the direct insurance market.

QBO will run a six-figure consumer PR push for Norwich Union Direct, the

telephone insurance division, set to launch in January. The agency won

the business in a non-competitive pitch.

QBO has worked for Norwich Union’s life insurance, pensions and general

insurance divisions and advised on corporate issues for almost three

years.

Direct marketing manager for Norwich Union Direct, Bob Screen, was

tight-lipped about the campaign details claiming the information is

commercially sensitive.

The venture faces fierce competition from existing telephone bank

insurers such as Direct Line, Commercial Union and Guardian Direct.

Screen said the campaign launch programme was still at ‘pilot stage’ and

that he had ‘no fixed idea’ of the public relations spend,although he

added ‘the PR campaign needs to be significant enough to make a splash.’

The PR programme will run alongside a pounds 10 million television and

press advertising campaign landed by Saatchi and Saatchi last week.