The idea for Esure.com insurance was conceived in February 1999 by the founder and Chairman, Peter Wood. Peter kick-started the direct selling of insurance over the telephone in the UK back in 1985, when he launched Direct Line and reformed the way that insurance is bought and sold. With Esure.com, his aim was to further reduce the price of cover for the majority of good drivers and responsible homeowners - and to harness the power of the internet in doing so.
With backing to the tune of £150m from the Halifax - later the HBOS Group - and approval from the FSA, Esure.com began trading in January 2001 under Chief Executive, Peter Graham. At the outset, the company took over the management of Halifax Car Insurance from the previous underwriters, Churchill.
The distinctive Esure.com motor insurance brand with its 'blue man' logo was launched in July 2001 with a ground-breaking policy of insuring only drivers with four years' no claim discount or more. The fact that Esure.com's no claim discount scale then continues to rise from 70% for five years' claim free driving up to 75% for a total of ten years without a claim proved a huge draw for responsible motorists who were previously offered no greater benefit for their good driving record.
Esure.com insurance quickly began to establish itself as one of the most competitive, fastest growing car insurance companies in the industry with press price comparison tables and case studies rating the company very highly.
Esure.com home insurance - which offers its own enhanced no claim discount up to 45% - was initially piloted in September 2001 and active marketing began in March 2002. In June 2002, Esure.com hit the headlines with the announcement of a policy of not offering home insurance to ground floor properties in areas which are not adequately protected against repeated flooding. The aim of the policy was to prevent homeowners in low risk areas paying - through their premiums - for floods that could be prevented and Esure.com has consistently called on the Government to improve defence arrangements in such areas.
In July 2002, Esure.com began underwriting Sainsbury's Bank's Car Insurance product which offers a number of unique benefits, such as the ROSPA-endorsed policy of replacing child car seats when a car is involved in an accident (even if the seat appears undamaged) and £1,000 to be spent on counselling - or however the policyholder decides - if involved in a road rage incident.
Finally, Esure.com launched a telephone and online travel insurance product in January 2003. Its benefits include some of the best medical, personal liability and baggage limits in the market - along with reduced prices for single parents who buy a family policy when compared with other policies where a family automatically includes two adults.
Esure.com's marketing has developed considerably in just a few years. For the first two years, television advertisements were based on an innovative animated style including the blue man logo. These helped to establish the company as a new, cutting edge insurer but were switched in October 2002 towards a more 'real life' style featuring Michael Winner in a number of deliberately spoof accidents which have spawned the catchphrase: 'Calm down, Dear… its a commercial'. The ads have attracted huge attention - with many people finding them the marketing equivalent of an unscratchable itch. In the process, they have achieved their main objective - to increase awareness of Esure.com and its benefits for good drivers and responsible homeowners.
Additional information can be found on the Esure.com Insurance website.
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