They don’t start out caring, making them care is our job

Consumers do not form an orderly queue at the door asking for policies. It is true that there is some latent demand, the ‘ready to buy’ consumer. They do exist, but not in great numbers. Google is the great beneficiary of the fierce competition to catch them: bidding up the price of adwords for terms related to ‘insurance’ to sometimes eye-watering levels. So yes, some of them care, but most consumers don’t care that much. In fact, until someone has a goal, they couldn’t care less about most things.

Consumers can lack interest all morning until lunchtime and, once fed, drift along not thinking big original thoughts about anything all afternoon. But don’t take it personally, it’s an equal opportunity apathy applied to everything from homelessness, to healthcare, racism to global warming. Driven, focused people are the exception, not the norm. Rare indeed is the consumer that can sustain a deep and abiding interest in insurance.

Think about it. It would be weird to meet one.

So we should not be surprised consumers are apathetic. Waiting for consumers to overcome their apathy about insurance and you will go broke, and they won’t get cover. Two bad outcomes, but only one side of the equation is going to change it.