Communications and External Affairs Update
Consumer Services Committee
Christine Ashburn
Vice President – Communications,
Public Education
Responsible for creation of consumer-focused brochures and
flyers on corporate initiatives and insurance basics. Ensure all
brochures translated into Spanish.
• Updated look ofAre you Prepared for Storm Surge/Flood Loss? • Depopulation Choices – #PocketSense
• How Reinsuance Makes PocketSense – #PocketSense
• Hurricane Assessments: Don’t Get Caught Paying More Than the Jonses – #PocketSense
• The Property Insurance Clearinghouse: Providing New Options for Florida Homeowners
• The Property Insurance Clearinghouse: Finding Coverage Options • Citizens Homeowners Policies: Types of Coverage
• How Did My Citizens Policy Get Selected for Takeout?
• Who Will Pay Citizens Assessments After the Next Hurricane? • Hurricane Season is Here. Are You Prepared?
• Be Prepared. Save Money! Florida’s 2014 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday • What’s in Your kit?
Outreach
Promoted the Public Education and Outreach division through increased
participation in community events and by accepting invitations as
panelists at industry conventions
• Audience reach for 2014: 4673 people
• Includes 8 legislative “Office Hours” events
• Attendance fluctuations are due to seasonality of requests. Many homeowner
associations hold large meetings in the late Winter/early Spring for their seasonal
residents. Requests typically drop off near the end of the year due to holiday and
end-of-year wrap up activities.
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Mailers
• Initiated work for standing contract for postcard mailers and coordinated procurement
process with the Purchasing Department
• Allows Citizens to send out important messages to policyholders via postcard
notification
• Three vendors participate on the contract. Work is assigned based on
production schedule availability.
• Price is set with each vendor based on postcard size and established
cardstock options
• Developed mailer for policyholders potentially affected by permitting change in Coastal
Construction Control Zone (held due to extension passed in 2014 session)
• Developed Depopulation awareness postcard – production postponed until further
notice due to timelines for brochure release
• Coordinated production and delivery of mobile/manufactured home alternative
valuations for Coverage A mailer
Customer Correspondence
Received and responded to nearly 12,000 items in 2014
• 98% were processed within established turn around times
• Quality standard increased from 95% to 97% in May 2014.
Year end Quality score was 99%.
• The Team exceeded the turnaround time standards for
all four types of correspondence, i.e., Department of
Financial Services, direct-email, direct-correspondence,
and Legislative/Executive/Board of Governors each
Technical Education and Communications
In 2014, There were 69 total communications sent to agents and
policyholders
•
Agent Technical Bulletin - 24
•
Informational Email - 16
•
Training Bulletin - 10
•
Agent Direct Emails - 19
Knowledge Base was promoted to Agents as a resource
•
Knowledge Base is a 365/24/7 resource for agents and staff. It provides a
variety of questions and answers regarding all aspects of Citizens processes.
Users can ask questions, search for answers and provide feedback.
•
Content in Knowledge Base increased from approximately 450 to 700
answers
•
Redesigned and reconfigured internal announcements for staff to make them
more user-friendly, informative and provide Knowledge Base references
Communications
• Approximately 1,400 communications projects/tasks either in progress or completed as
of December 31, 2014
• Provided planning, writing, editing, graphic design and photography services for the
following projects:
• Core Program/Citizens Insurance Suite
• Property Insurance Clearinghouse
• Microsoft Office 2013 update
• HR initiatives/employee activities
• The
Citizens Brand and Style Guide
went live, and additional sections are being added
• Participated as part of the project leadership in the planning for and work on the
Media Relations
• Edited and coordinated release of 31 Press Releases • Finalized and coordinated publication of Opinion Editorials
o Litigation Expense Needed
o Citizens Enters 2014 Hurricane Season in Best Shape Ever
o Consumers/Agents Communication Critical
o Citizens in Position Next Year to Handle Storm of the Century Without Taxpayer Help
• Organized on-camera/live interviews of Citizens executive team members with state, national and international press including
o A.M Best TV
o Korean Public Television
o Bermuda Reinsurers
o Bloomberg, Reuters
o Wall Street Journal
o Capital News Service
o WLRN and WFSU Public radio stations
o News Service of Florida, WCTV, WTSP, First Coast News
o Trade and general interest press
• Broadened the reach of the Citizens Advisor, beyond Board of Governors, Cabinet, Senate and House of Representatives to include other major industry stakeholders
Strategic Planning
Citizens Strategic Plan
• Coordinated 2014 Strategic Plan editing and design
o Final plan completed and released on website
o Updated Mission/Values/Goals section on website to conform with new Strategic Plan Developed Strategic Communications Media Plan and coordinated its implementation • Developed and Launched PocketSense communication strategy
o PocketSense branded infographics – Depopulation Choices
– How Reinsuance Makes PocketSense
– Hurricane Assessments: Don’t Get Caught Paying More Than the Jonses o PocketSense Branded Press releases
Clearinghouse
• Led Communications and Training project team, coordinating all training and communications for the clearinghouse project. Serve as intermediary between project development team and communications and training team
• Successfully coordinated January launch of Clearinghouse from a communications and training perspective
o Regularly update website with new information and materials • Clearinghouse Renewals
o Developed Communications and Training Launch Plan
o Developed Renewals Website Information
o Developed Renewals Consumer Brochure infographic and process flow
o Updated 75-day letter to include CH renewal language
o Drafted CH-related non-renewal notice
o Drafted CH offer letter for policyholders who receive offers but are eligible for renewals
o Coordinated Renewals Agent Training and Communications
Social Media
Expanded Citizens’ social media reach and activities:
End-of-year snapshot:
• Aggregate Twitter follower increase of 192% – 12/31/14 Total 974 followers
» Total on 1/1/14: 334 followers
– 12/31/14 @citizensflanews: 417 followers; 374% follower increase » 1/1/14: 88 followers
– 12/31/14 @citizens_agents: 215 followers; 117% follower increase » 1/1/14: 99 followers
– 12/31/14 @citizens_fla: 342 followers; 133% follower increase » 1/1/14: 147 followers
• Overall Facebook like increase of 38% – 12/31/14 Total Likes 724
» 1/1/14: 525 likes
Expanded effort to reach agents through social media:
• Provided social media awareness article for publication in agent newsletters
• Created ‘break slide’ listing all social media accounts to be used during agent training presentations
• Specific targeted messages for agent community to promote upcoming events and published materials
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Twitter Main Twitter Agents
#Insurance101
• Developed and launched Insurance 101, an ongoing series of plain language explanations of Basic insurance concepts and Citizens
coverages. Featured in Citizens Advisor and on Social Media:
o Insurance 101is a consistent engagement performer with an average of 20 shares per post on Facebook.
o Published:
• Why is my Coverage A more than my mortgage?
• What is Covered by Coverage B – Other Structures?
• How much Contents coverage should a homeowner have?
• What is Covered by Coverage D – Loss of Use?
• What’s the Difference between Actual Cash Value and Replacement Cost?
• Why does my policy include Personal Liability coverage (Coverage E)?
• What types of homeowners insurance policies does Citizens offer?
2015 Priorities
• Build out a robust project plan to continue integrating all facets of communications into Citizens enterprise projects
• Remain engaged on corporate strategic planning efforts to help inform employees, policyholders and stakeholders in a timely fashion
o Promote improvements in the Citizens takeout process
o Continue education regarding potential of assessments on policyholders in light of reduced exposure and increased reinsurance/surplus
o Increase awareness about Citizens successful sinkhole remediation program and litigation strategy
o Explain rationale for potential rate hikes, if they are proposed, based on riskier book of business
o Inform policyholders and agents about additional valuation methods available to mobile home owners
• Focus messaging on feedback results: providing information that serves our policyholders and stakeholders. Publish the information they want to hear and educate on the topics most queried. • Improve corporate communication by publishing opinion editorials by Citizens Executive Leadership
Team and Board of Governors on multiple platforms (newspapers, online letters to the editor, social media)
• Continued improvement of crisis communications to employees, agents, policyholders, stakeholders and public
o Integration of messaging via social media channels to expand information reach • Continued participation at industry conferences as panelists and informational resource
2015 Priorities
• Comprehensive communications support for key corporate initiatives (fraud awareness, talent recruitment and retention, agent and policyholder services, exposure and policy reduction, etc.)
o Provide all-inclusive communications support for the Jacksonville office move
o Inform policyholders and agents of the upcoming clearinghouse Dwelling Policy release • Review Resource Library to bring all publications up-to-date in both content and design
• Develop new consumer-focused brochures and flyers on trending topics
o Step-by-step Guides
– How to file a Claim (non-catastrophe and catastrophe specific) – How to create a home inventory
o Process Overviews
– Clearinghouse renewal process – Lines of business in Clearinghouse
o Informational
– Roof maintenance and tips
– Types of inspections (home inspection vs four point inspection)
• Focused community visits to connect with our policyholders (Homeowners Association and
Mobile/Manufactured Homeowner neighborhood meetings) allowing us to address the issues region by region
• Explore additional partnerships with external stakeholders on educational events (Weather Ready Nation Ambassador, hurricane preparedness, mitigation awareness)
2015 Priorities
• Continued development and launch of external and internal website redesigns
o Partner with business units across organization to ensure proper tools for educating, informing and serving policyholders and stakeholders are included
o Monitor project progress to maintain on-time deliverables • Transition all FAQs from website to Knowledge Base content
• Improve and develop divisional policies and procedures for business processes
o Recommend changes to improve efficiencies
o Establish and communicate procedures at project outset
o Areas of focus in 2015:
– Social media curation and potential expansion – Video contracting for website/social media – Policyholder postcard mailings
– Consumer Correspondence
• Partner with supporting business units to identify root causes of customer service related complaints and inquiries, and communicate with appropriate departments to identify opportunities to improve internal processes
• Support Depopulation and Clearinghouse expansion when responding to customer correspondence
• Support social media initiative by providing efficient service (within one business day) when responding to customer inquiries on Twitter and Facebook
• Continued emphasis on successful reduction in response times for consumer complaints
