What ‘Compare the Meerkat’ Can Teach Us About Social Media and Insurance

There is quite possibly nothing as boring as shopping for insurance. Nothing can really make it more fun, even if it can be made simpler and that promise isn’t often enough to entice the shopper to look for a quote. UK-based company Compare the Market knew this like any other, and so they created their “Compare the Meerkat” campaign.

It isn’t the first insurance company to use CGI ads of talking animals (the Geico Gecko has been a popular site on American televisions for years). But the unique bent went a long way towards boosting visibility. They also took it a step further by utilizing social media marketing to better establish their brand and create an actual fanbase beyond just their usual customers.

The Compare the Meerkat campaign is a great example of how insurance companies have included social networking and media to gain new customers through entertainment created loyalty. By looking at what they did right we can see a lot about how insurance companies are moving into this advertising format with positive results.

Very Valuable Viral Video

Viral marketing has been a big earner for awhile, but it is still a process in its infancy for actual marketing campaigns. YouTube is especially well known for giving a platform for advertisers, and the videos for Compare the Meerkat have gotten hundreds of thousands of hits a piece, equaling into viewing in the millions.

There are several commercials, including one especially popular one that shows a battle between the Meerkats and the Mongoose. Clever and entertaining, they were watched often and shared, and ended up on various profiles and websites. There is even a well made “blooper” video, which tied in with the next stage of the social media campaign.

Fantastic Focus On Facebook Friends

Facebook is already a huge part of social media marketing. They decided to stay away from making it about the campaign and made a page for Aleksandr Orlov, the meerkat himself. The fictional character regularly communicates with fans, of which there more than 776,000 currently. He makes observations about current events and speaks to people who comment on statuses.

At one point, a comment was made about springs being added to keep him more stable on the ground he uses for his commercials. This was touched upon in the blooper video when he bounces up and down as if on a trampoline.

Ties On Twitter

He also has a Twitter account, which posts the same as on Facebook. There are more than 46,00 followers, but what makes it even better is that he is following more than 35,000 back. This shows a commitment that often social media campaigns lack.  It provides for great communication, and follows along with his Facebook profile in that way.

How It Worked

The real test of a social media campaign is its effectiveness. You might remember that when Old Spice began their “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign, their profits literally rose over 200% from their average the fiscal year before. Did the Compare the Meerkat campaign have similar success?

Actually, yes. They saw a gross rise in quotes of 90%, and within a few days of the campaign running they had met their quarter target. It was a huge success and it shows just how valuable a good social marketing campaign can be. The fact that fan ‘likes’ on Facebook have continued and comments are regularly posted on the videos shows that it is continuing to work and keeping the company in the public eyes.

We can learn a lot about brand establishment and marketing through social media using this and other examples. It truly shows the way that the face of advertising has changed since the Internet and social networking combined.

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Annie is a social media addict and blogging entrepreneur. She blogs on viral marketing for moms at ViralMom.com and on money saving tips for Home Loan Finder, the huge and free home loans comparison tool (Australia-only). Follow Annie on Twitter as @ViralMomTweets

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