Been out of touch for awhile. What happened to “Drive Insurance”? Is this another positive Progressive spun press release to cover up the failure of Drive? or is Drive still a viable brand name for them?
The Drive Insurance brand has been put in high-gear and driven off the cliff and its fate is the brand crashed and burned!
As an independent agent, we continued to refer to Progressive, even after they changed it to Drive. I am sure the marketing dollars can be used unilaterally by having just one brand.
It is my understanding the independent agent channel continues to be their largest portion of their business and the most profitable in comparison to their direct marketing segment.
What happened to Drive was that it confused the average customer. When they come through the door, and ask for a quote with “that Drive Insurance”, and you say the name Progressive, they would correct you. They would say that they wanted Drive not Progressive.
And then there are those that got quotes from Direct and were upset that Drive was a little more expensive. It was an Independent’s headache. Everyone recognizes Progressive from TV ads. So, Drive was seldom used and Progressive was most frequently used–it cut down on the confusion. So, most of the customers did not even notice the new sign.
I have sold Progressive Insurance since 1982, long before it was a household word. When I went to the meeting announcing “Drive” Insurance, (something just for us Independent Agents) I was very disappointed. I had sold Progressive for 20 years and our competition was getting to keep that name. We would get a new name “all our own”. It was like a Dilbert cartoon.
Unlike Bob I did not go to the meeting in Vegas as I would have walked out of the meeting. I am glad they have seen the light. Maybe someday all the lights will go on at Progressive and they can become a REAL partner with the agents.
We all seem to agree that the change to ‘Drive’ didn’t make any sense. The name Progressive was already well known and my customers were also confused with Drive vs Progressive.
I don’t understand why Progressive keeps pushing consumers to call Progressive directly rather than an agent. One of their chief actuaries told about a 100 of us at a meeting in Arlington, Texas that their best profit margin was with agent written business. I’ve been writting with Progressive since 1980. I know a lot of agents(including myself) that have been rewritting some business away from Progressive because they have not been a ‘good partner’. Progressive needs to remember who got them in the position they are in today – us – the agents.
I am an agent in San Antonio, TX and have recently added a new market, National Interstate, who is about 10% cheaper than Progressive on Commercial Auto. I didn’t get a new sign from Progressive because I have moved over $100,000 from them this year… most of that going to National Interstate. Visit http://www.quotenatl.com
as we gear up for sweeping reform and watch our commisioner pander to progressive and our “favorite lizard” i read all of your comments, seems like i might be better to stay as far away from progrssive and i can, seems if they could dump agents they would, actually it seems like they are itching to dump agents or try to put us at a disadvantage.
I am not so sure that they are trying to dump agents. They just don’t seem to know how to cater to direct business and agent business. I have never written a personal lines policy with progressive, personal customers that want progressive go online and get a better rate. I have only had success with commercial business with progressive for the first few years a company is in business. After that they get moved to a Preferred market. In my office they are the insurer of last resort. When you have a perception like that with agents, you need to spend less time changing your name and more time changing agents’ perception.
Been out of touch for awhile. What happened to “Drive Insurance”? Is this another positive Progressive spun press release to cover up the failure of Drive? or is Drive still a viable brand name for them?
drive is kaput back to blue colors and progressive name for independents (went from green to blue! cost millions)
The Drive Insurance brand has been put in high-gear and driven off the cliff and its fate is the brand crashed and burned!
As an independent agent, we continued to refer to Progressive, even after they changed it to Drive. I am sure the marketing dollars can be used unilaterally by having just one brand.
It is my understanding the independent agent channel continues to be their largest portion of their business and the most profitable in comparison to their direct marketing segment.
What happened to Drive was that it confused the average customer. When they come through the door, and ask for a quote with “that Drive Insurance”, and you say the name Progressive, they would correct you. They would say that they wanted Drive not Progressive.
And then there are those that got quotes from Direct and were upset that Drive was a little more expensive. It was an Independent’s headache. Everyone recognizes Progressive from TV ads. So, Drive was seldom used and Progressive was most frequently used–it cut down on the confusion. So, most of the customers did not even notice the new sign.
I have sold Progressive Insurance since 1982, long before it was a household word. When I went to the meeting announcing “Drive” Insurance, (something just for us Independent Agents) I was very disappointed. I had sold Progressive for 20 years and our competition was getting to keep that name. We would get a new name “all our own”. It was like a Dilbert cartoon.
Unlike Bob I did not go to the meeting in Vegas as I would have walked out of the meeting. I am glad they have seen the light. Maybe someday all the lights will go on at Progressive and they can become a REAL partner with the agents.
We all seem to agree that the change to ‘Drive’ didn’t make any sense. The name Progressive was already well known and my customers were also confused with Drive vs Progressive.
I don’t understand why Progressive keeps pushing consumers to call Progressive directly rather than an agent. One of their chief actuaries told about a 100 of us at a meeting in Arlington, Texas that their best profit margin was with agent written business. I’ve been writting with Progressive since 1980. I know a lot of agents(including myself) that have been rewritting some business away from Progressive because they have not been a ‘good partner’. Progressive needs to remember who got them in the position they are in today – us – the agents.
I am an agent in San Antonio, TX and have recently added a new market, National Interstate, who is about 10% cheaper than Progressive on Commercial Auto. I didn’t get a new sign from Progressive because I have moved over $100,000 from them this year… most of that going to National Interstate. Visit http://www.quotenatl.com
as we gear up for sweeping reform and watch our commisioner pander to progressive and our “favorite lizard” i read all of your comments, seems like i might be better to stay as far away from progrssive and i can, seems if they could dump agents they would, actually it seems like they are itching to dump agents or try to put us at a disadvantage.
I am not so sure that they are trying to dump agents. They just don’t seem to know how to cater to direct business and agent business. I have never written a personal lines policy with progressive, personal customers that want progressive go online and get a better rate. I have only had success with commercial business with progressive for the first few years a company is in business. After that they get moved to a Preferred market. In my office they are the insurer of last resort. When you have a perception like that with agents, you need to spend less time changing your name and more time changing agents’ perception.
do you know if they write in MA?