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Insurance Marketing
USAA Cues Up the Music

Touring festival brings entertainment to service members and their families.
  • Lori Chordas
  • July 2018
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Music Appreciation

“BaseFEST Powered by USAA” is once again touring several military bases across the United States to bring live music to service members and their families.

FEEL THE BEAT: DJ KA5 performed during Base-FEST Powered by USAA on May 12, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

USAA is the official sponsor of the touring one-day festival where troops, families and the base community can enjoy music, food, games and activities, sports and fitness, technology and more.

“BaseFEST is a great way to bring music experiences directly to our service members and families,” said Michael Dones, USAA’s assistant vice president for brand programs and sponsorship marketing.

“We know military members and their families make huge sacrifices for our country. This is one way for us to say thank you,” he said. The festival debuted last year.

This year’s upcoming stops include the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune on July 4 and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms on Sept. 22. The tour kicked off in May at Fort Bliss.

This year’s headliners include Dustin Lynch, Lee Brice and Cole Swindell.

Seven More Years

ZURICH INSURANCE renewed its sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans through 2026. It became the title sponsor of the golf tournament in 2005, the year Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

The company has been deeply rooted in the city’s recovery since the storm, including being involved with the community and the Fore!Kids Foundation’s charitable initiatives. The foundation is the local host organization of the Zurich Classic.

“New Orleans has a resilient past with a bright future, and we’re proud to extend our sponsorship of the Zurich Classic, continuing our teamwork with charitable organizations,” said Kathleen Savio, CEO for Zurich North America. The Zurich Classic is a wonderful opportunity to work side-by-side on and off the course to create opportunities, overcome challenges and win, she said.

WINNERS: The team of Billy Horschel (far left) and Scott Piercy (far right) won the 2018 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They are congratulated by David Perlis of the Fore!Kids Foundation, Zurich NA CEO Kathleen Savio, and the foundation’s Tristan Manthey.

WINNERS: The team of Billy Horschel (far left) and Scott Piercy (far right) won the 2018 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They are congratulated by David Perlis of the Fore!Kids Foundation, Zurich NA CEO Kathleen Savio, and the foundation’s Tristan Manthey.

Making the Spend

Spending on insurance advertising dipped slightly in 2017. Last year’s spending topped $6.7 billion, a 0.8% drop from $6.75 billion spent in 2016, according to Kantar Media.

Berkshire Hathaway once again dominated the advertising dollars being spent in insurance, with a $1.54 billion spend. Berkshire Hathaway, which is the parent company of private passenger auto writer Geico, uses direct response as its primary distribution channel and has a large presence in print and television advertising.

Progressive Corp., State Farm, Allstate and Liberty Mutual Insurance rounded out the top five insurance advertisers in 2017.

 

Insurers' Ad Spend

Rank Top 10 Parent Company 2017 ($million)
1 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. $1,543.7
2 Progressive Corp. 761.1
3 State Farm Mutual Auto Ins. Co. 638.5
4 Allstate Corp. 344.0
5 Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. 312.9
6 Unitedhealth Group Inc. 242.3
7 American Family Mutual Insurance Co. 185.6
8 United Services Auto Association 181.5
9 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. 180.7
10 Farmers Insurance Group 142.4
Total 4,532.9

Source: Kantar Media

 

Lori Chordas is a senior associate editor. She can be reached at lori.chordas@ambest.com



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