Taking the worry out of insurance the Hollard way

Says Heidi Brauer, marketing director for Hollard: "We were frank before frank was frank. Hollard was a challenger brand before the term was invented and we have always challenged conventional thinking by introducing new ways of doing things. But the truth is that we’ve been caught up in building our business and forgot to keep on telling our market what we’re up to.”

Internally, the "Don’t Worry. Be Hollard.” campaign kicked off with a week of activities called Nothing Rhymes With Purple. The comprehensive above-the-line campaign, featuring a playful take on what has always been considered a low-interest category, will roll-out from the end of February and utilises radio, print, digital and Out of Home (OOH) platforms. These mediums allow the brand the opportunity to communicate a variety of key messages reflecting Hollard’s diverse product offering, which is a core objective of the refreshed brand positioning campaign.

"The idea behind the playful executions comes from the insight that at times we all worry. Excessive worry can sometimes paralyse people and prevent them from living bravely. Together with our partners, we are able to offer many solutions to financial worries, thereby giving customers the opportunity to go out and live with purpose,” continues Brauer when explaining the campaign.

"As a partner-focused brand our partnerships form the core of everything we do. The feedback from our more than 100 partners reflected the view that we needed to refresh our positioning. Internally, Hollard has continued to challenge industry norms and as a brand, we are mainly about heart, but we are also sassy and a bit quirky. However, we needed to effectively communicate this personality to the outside world,” adds Brauer

The new corporate identity reflects the positioning of the business and sets it apart from its competitors. The colour purple and logo element of the ‘H’ in Hollard remain, while the name is now executed with a more handwritten yet contemporary feel. A vibrant, warm and African colour palette has been introduced, and the effect is rounded off by a bold full stop at the end of the logo.

"We’ve created a logo that is ownable and flexible. There are few rules – which is similar to how we run our business. We wanted it to be simple so that our many partners could use our logo easily alongside theirs, while still ensuring that it is easily recognised and consistent with the brand,” explains Brauer.

The decision to refresh and re-present the Hollard brand was not an impulsive one, nor was it made in isolation of the strategic business objectives. In the past 17 years (since the logo was last refreshed) Hollard has grown substantially, to a company that turns over more than R12,5 billion per year and which is represented in 11 countries around the world. This geographical diversification has seen more than 50% of growth in profits over the last year being delivered by international operations. In addition, the deal to acquire the outstanding 60% shareholding in Etana Insurance was concluded in January this year, effectively positioning the merged entity among the largest short-term insurers in South Africa. All of these factors combined to suggest that the time was right to re-present the company to the world in a fresh new way.