Allianz’ “eZine” Electronic Magazine a Success with Irish Brokers

Allianz Ireland’s “Allianz Broker eZine,” a monthly electronic magazine, has found success with Irish brokers. The subsidiary of Germany’s Allianz launched the site to “streamline its communication with brokers.” So far the “feedback has been encouraging,” said a bulletin on the Allianz Website (www.allianz.com).

The format isn’t static, but allows for constant updating. “It was time to look at how we were communicating with our brokers,” explained Jim Byrne, responsible for Commercial Mid Market Distribution within Allianz Ireland sales. “With the new eZine format, we can streamline the information we send to brokers, and present it to them in a recognized format each month. Once brokers see our distinctive design, without even reading the text, they realize it is a communication from Allianz. The response from brokers to date has been really heartening.”

As a measure of the site’s success, the bulletin notes that more than half of the recipients “open it the first morning. The first Broker eZine was issued on the morning of December 7, and by 12 noon that day, over half of the recipients had opened the document.”

Allianz said “brokers reacted very positively to the new format, and the feedback received reflected this,” with comments such as: ‘I like the design, the ease of access and the content is spot on, not too technical! Brokers like everyone else in the market are extremely busy so items that aren’t newsy or topical won’t get read.’ And, ‘Terrific idea – Easy to access and very well laid out, very informative and well documented. Great way of keeping up to date with your current products.'”

“Brokers have also added colleagues to our e-mail database,” Byrne continued. “This gives us great confidence that our message is getting to as many relevant people in the broker’s office as possible.”

The eZine format will be similar each month, with three to four purely business-related items and one softer item, such as sport sponsorships. “Over the coming months, we will be asking many people across the organization to contribute short articles,” Byrne stated. “A lot of colleagues deal with brokers so we know the kind of information they are looking for and what will be helpful to them. In 2006 we will have plenty of time to develop an even better expertise in broker communications.”

Topics Agencies Allianz