Insurance Marketing
‘Property Brothers’ Build on Homeowners Insurance Message

• Lori Chordas
• February 2021
• 

No Place Like Home

These days home renovation experts and TV personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott are sharing more than home design tips. They also are touting the importance of homeowners insurance as AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE's newest brand ambassadors.

The Scott brothers, stars of HGTV's “Property Brothers: Forever Home” and “Brother vs. Brother,” join a long list of the insurer's brand ambassadors, who include model Kathy Ireland and former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

American Family's latest partnership is “an authentic way to exemplify both the company's and the Scott brothers' commitment to any place someone calls home,” said Sherina Smith, marketing vice president for the Madison, Wisconsin-based insurer. She said while Drew and Jonathan help people build their dream homes, American Family Insurance helps protect their homes.

The Scotts also align with American Family Insurance's cultural values of caring and giving. The brothers support philanthropic organizations such as No Kid Hungry and Habitat for Humanity, which named them Habitat Humanitarians in 2017.

The insurer has expanded the marketing partnership to include social digital, where the duo has a large presence. The Scotts have more than 3 million followers on Facebook, 2 million on Twitter and 4.6 million on Instagram.

Out With the Old, in With the New

For decades an American Indian chief head was the focal point of MUTUAL OF OMAHA's highly recognizable corporate logo. But after mounting pressure for companies and sports teams to change brand marks and nicknames that reference Native Americans, the insurer has retired its 70-year-old logo, replacing it with one that features an African lion.

The new image, inspired by the company's unique history and customer-centric mission and values, projects protection and strength and delivers a strong connection to the company's longtime sponsorship of TV's “Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom,” said company spokesman Jim Nolan.

In July 2020, Mutual of Omaha announced it would remove Native American imagery from its corporate logo as part of a larger response to calls for racial equity and social justice. In November, it began phasing in the new image, beginning with the corporate website. Company officials said it will take several months to replace the old logo on printed materials and signs, and on the face of its headquarters building in Omaha, Nebraska.

Mutual of Omaha also has earmarked $1 million in additional funding for community-based initiatives and nonprofit organizations committed to racial equity, inclusivity, economic equality and social justice.