Quantifying Investment in Brand

Lorraine Jekylls’ path from HR recruiter at a Lloyd’s managing agency to CEO of Free Brands illustrates how internal culture fuels external brand strength. While handling recruitment ads, she realized that merely listing revenue and headcount failed to convey a company’s purpose. By partnering with a graphic designer to revamp candidate packs, she discovered that clear, values‑driven storytelling could differentiate an insurer in a crowded market. This early insight—that a brand is built from the inside out—has guided her agency’s focus on aligning employee experience, employer branding, and client communications across the insurance sector.

The insurance industry’s notorious “sea of blue” illustrates the urgency of visual differentiation. Free Brands helps clients break away from generic color palettes, crafting distinctive logos and messaging that resonate with diverse audiences—from brokers and reinsurers to end‑customers. Jekylls stresses that brand investment is not an expense but a long‑term growth engine, citing research that firms with consistent brand spend can outperform rivals by up to sevenfold. To convince finance leaders, she blends B2C benchmark data with emerging insurance‑specific studies, promoting a two‑speed marketing model that pairs rapid digital tactics with sustained brand building.

Beyond market share, a strong brand attracts top talent and fuels acquisition strategies. Jekylls’ agency leverages talent reports and storytelling to position insurers as protectors of people and the planet, countering negative press with positive impact narratives. Their upcoming research, slated for the IMCA Ignite conference in Savannah, aims to quantify branding ROI for CFOs, reinforcing the case for continuous spend even in down markets. For insurers seeking agility, the message is clear: invest consistently, differentiate visually, and align internal culture with external promise to secure both customers and the workforce needed for future growth.