UAA could dispel myths

APC chief Brian Russell's decision to spearhead the move to launch an association for underwriting agencies should come as no surprise (see page 8).

Given the criticism of the managing general agent model, the sector is in need of a collective voice because, as Mr Russell told Post's recent broking supplement, it is not fair to tar all so-called MGAs with the same brush.

"There are plenty of wholesalers in the market and these are sellers of a facility given by insurers that do not underwrite - they just sell as cheap as they can. MGAs are very different - they underwrite, produce policies and provide the carrier with good management information," he argued (Broking Supplement, 7 May, p19).

If the Underwriting Agencies Association does get off the ground, maybe it will be able to address some of the myths and reputational issues that have tainted the sector and show it in a better light.

Too small to admit a mistake?

It may not be up there with the well-known marketing slogan 'Just do it', but the strapline spat between Groupama and Heath Lambert proved an interesting sideshow at the Biba conference last week.

First, you would have thought that anyone with an ounce of knowledge about insurance marketing would have been aware of the Groupama 'Big enough to deliver, small enough to care' campaign, given its high profile.

Second, by then claiming, as Heath did, that Groupama had accepted the compromise 'Large enough to deliver, small enough to care' when the insurer was adamant it hadn't, all the broker did prove was that it was not big/large enough to admit it had made a mistake.

Any suggestions for what slogan Heath should use now?

Agree/disagree: e-mail jonathan.swift@incisivemedia.com