Twitter
Andrew Davidson 
Susan Menke 
Susan Wolfe 
Lisa Hronek Posts Tagged ‘progressive’
Grading Social Media Efforts – First Up Progressive
- @ask_progressive – 7,535 Followers & 817 Tweets
- @ItsFlo – 2,814 Followers & 201 Tweets
I recently visited @ask_progressive Twitter page and it’s filled with responses to complaints and compliments, however, the negative connotations stand out more than the positive. These criticisms range from waiting time on the phone to claim service issues to rate increases.
I then read through @ItsFlo, Flo’s Twitter page, and it was filled with cheesy sayings such as “I heard someone say they’re having a bad hair day. What’s that?” and “I’ve wanted to work in insurance ever since I realized I was a complete klutz as a six-year-old. Ouch…door.”
Twitter Grade: C-
- Flo The Progressive Girl Facebook Page – 2.97M “Likes”
- Progressive Facebook Page – 30,253 “Likes”
- Progressive Motorcycle – 3,984 “Likes”
Flo’s Progressive Page does a great job of touching consumers on Facebook. They ask people to dress up like Flo for Halloween, send Flo themed Valentine’s Cards, and to share pictures of their various Flo experiences. This seems to touch a wide range of individuals, many of whom have positive wall posts and experiences shared on Flo’s Facebook page.
Just as impressive, but less followed, is Progressive’s Motorcycle Facebook Page. In an attempt to connect with motorcyclist, Progressive has posted a number of pictures from sponsored events and rallies as well as a list of future rally dates. You can also find information on Corn for Kids, a health awareness campaign, and Progressive’s Adventure for the Cure, a supporting fundraiser to The Women’s Motorcycle Foundation.
Facebook Grade: B+
YOUTUBE
- Progressive Channel – 1,974 Subscribers & 2.74 Million Uploads
Here consumers can view commercials starring Flo and/or The Messenger. Other videos include safety awareness, hurricane prevention tips, and career information. I, for one, am not the biggest Flo fan, and have never had the desire to re-watch a Progressive commercial. As for the other content, I don’t believe it connects with my demographic.
YouTube Grade: C
OVERALL
I was impressed by Progressive’s Facebook efforts, but its Twitter was disappointing, and its YouTube channel was average at best.
Social Media Grade: C
Take a drive with Flo
Do you ever wonder where insurance companies come up with their premium costs? And how they can evaluate your risk of getting into an accident compared to your neighbor’s? Can they really tell that much about you just by knowing what kind of car your drive, where you live and how old you are?
Progressive’s new Snapshot Discount program offers savings while giving consumers a feeling of greater personalization and perhaps control over their auto insurance premium. This new strategy from Progressive goes beyond simply entering your information into the system and hoping the pre-determined metrics come up with some savings for you. According to Progressive’s website, Snapshot Discount is “a personalized car insurance discount you earn by driving less, in safer ways and during safer times of day. The better you drive, the more you can save.”With promises of up to 30%savings in 30 days, I was more than a little curious to research this innovative tactic.
Snapshot is currently available to Progressive customers in more than 25 states. If you sign up for Snapshot Discount, you will receive a device that plugs into the on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of your car. This little gadget can track how often you drive, when you drive and it can even asses your driving skills. This device will actually tell Progressive if you are an aggressive driver or if you frequently slam on the breaks. Talk about a back seat driver, well front seat, I guess!
For 30 days you drive around with this device plugged in, after which time Progressive will analyze your driving habits in order to determine what discounts, if any, can be applied to your policy. With a promise of up to 30% in savings, driving around with this little device seems totally worthwhile.
If you’re worried about privacy, it might help to know that this Snapshot device does not have a GPS, so while Progressive might be able to track your mileage and habits, they can’t see where you are.
So, are you ready to let your insurance company in the car with you?