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DHS FEMA NFIP Services - eWaterwark Article
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We, Too, Are the NFIP: JWT
Jim Caponigro, JWT
The NFIP is a single organization with several components, all uniquely suited to carry out its numerous
and diverse functions. Fewer than 175 Federal employees work in the Mitigation Division at FEMA. But more
than twice that many specialists work for FEMA contractors to support the efforts of their Mitigation
Division counterparts. This article is the second in a series about the companies that currently are
contracted to assist the Mitigation Division in fulfilling its mission. We want you to know who these
companies are and what they do so that the next time you interact with the NFIP, you'll have a better
idea of how the organization works.
In 2003, FEMA's Mitigation Division began searching for a marketing company to help convince the country
to protect their homes and businesses with flood insurance. It took more than a year and a half to award
a contract to the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising company.
JWT carries a rich tradition in managing some of America's best known brands. Their clients include Ford
Motor Company, the United States Marine Corps, Orkin Pest Control, Kraft Foods, and Nestle, just to name
a few. JWT is not only known for being the first advertising agency in existence, but the agency also has
an enormous geographical footprint, with offices in 150 cities located in 86 countries. Advertising
Age ranked JWT as the Number 3 agency network, worldwide, in 2005, with revenues of $1.3 billion.
The primary goal of JWT's NFIP marketing strategy is policy growth. NFIP policy growth means financial
security and peace of mind to those affected by flood waters, as well as less reliance on the government's
disaster assistance fund. FEMA has tasked JWT with developing a program to reach an annual 5-percent net
policy growth. Led by the company's Atlanta office and including members from our parent company, WPP,
and three WPP sister companies, the JWT marketing team delivers the optimal variety of experience to
meet this aggressive 5-percent net policy growth goal and to provide seamless marketing support to the
NFIP.
JWT manages brand direction, strategic planning, creative development, administration, research, and
financial services for the NFIP's marketing initiatives. RMG Connect (Minneapolis, Chicago, New York)
provides direct mail efforts, online advertising, and website development for the program, creating
Floodsmart.gov and Agents.floodsmart.gov. Ogilvy Public Relations (Washington, DC) organizes and drives
NFIP consumer, influencer, and media outreach efforts. Mindshare Media (Atlanta, New York) handles all
NFIP media planning and placement for broadcast and print media.
Together, these companies supported the Mitigation Division in creating the FloodSmart campaign. The
campaign communicates "Everyone is at risk" messaging, featuring a red warning label, to the public and
to key stakeholders, including the agent community, insurance companies, state and local public
officials, real estate professionals, and lenders. It is important for consumers to realize that
homeowners insurance doesn't cover flooding and just as important for the agent community to become
ambassadors of the program.
JWT developed means to bring new customers into the flood insurance program, retain existing
policyholders, and reacquire lapsed customers. Consistency across all communications and brand elements
helped build program recognition immediately, continues to grow brand awareness for the NFIP across the
country, and contributes to policy growth by linking consumers to agents.
An integrated communications campaign was established to surround consumers and key stakeholders with
the risk message and to motivate them to take action to protect themselves. Direct response television
is just one of the ways the FloodSmart campaign reaches a broad audience. Other target programs include
print advertising, public outreach, direct mail, online banners, key word search, and sales support
materials that provide insurance agents around the country with tools to help explain to their customers
and prospects the risks of floods as well as the importance and benefits of NFIP coverage.
By fall 2006, NFIP messages on direct response TV had been seen 800 million times by cable TV viewing
Americans. And by the end of 2006, direct mail had been sent to more than 9 million homes. Online
advertising was seen as many as 100 million times. The NFIP print ad "Coaster" reached more than 20
million readers of Parade and USA Weekend magazines. In 2006, JWT's public outreach efforts
generated more than 2,000 stories in daily newspapers and television news outlets about the benefits
of flood insurance.
JWT is now in the third year of its 5-year contract. New to the program this year was production of a
television public service announcement (PSA) designed to gain consumer attention about the 2006 hurricane
season. JWT has considerable experience in producing PSAs. For example, the PSA program JWT created for
the U.S. Marine Corps focuses on the dedication and hard work of the Marine Corps. This program regularly
achieves more than $5 million a year in free media exposure.
New Orleans jazz clarinetist Lewis Ford is recorded for FloodSmart's PSA. (Photo
courtesy of JWT) |
Putting together a PSA program for the NFIP took several months. At the end of May 2006, JWT began looking
for a director to bring to life the idea of a new NFIP PSA. They settled on James Gartner, who recently
filmed the movie "Glory Road" in New Orleans. This city became the central setting for the new NFIP PSA,
titled "Listen." The PSA was designed to generate awareness and inform communities about the risks of
flooding from hurricanes. In the PSA, experts predict another active hurricane season. Important to the
concept was the use of water imagery to communicate this message, as well as having the message delivered
by a credible source. It was decided to tell the story through music.performed by musicians of New
Orleans.
Casting directors were sent out to scout locations and interview musicians who would perform in the PSA.
Of the 110 musicians who auditioned, seven were hired. Accompanying Mary Jo Vrem (the Mitigation
Division's contract project manager) on the production filming were the JWT people responsible for putting
this entire process together, from coming up with the idea to presenting it to FEMA to completing the
PSA's production: the producer, account manager, writer, and art director. After two 12-hour days, the
action was put down on film. Locations included areas in the French Quarter, the Ninth Ward, and Jackson
Square.
Following the shoot, editing took place in New York City under JWT's guidance. This portion of production
took 2 weeks and included editing, coloring the film, adding graphics and the titles, recording the
voice-over announcer, and mixing the music.
Finally, "Listen" was sent to television stations in 18 states along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic
seaboard. It was first aired in August 2006.the culmination of a 3-month process! It is too early to
determine how widely this PSA has been used; however, the overall impact of the FloodSmart campaign has
been significant since it began. Since the inception of the FloodSmart campaign in 2004, the NFIP's
policy base has shown 27 consecutive months of growth (through August 2006). And FEMA's growth goal
has been surpassed in many states.
Jim Caponigro is a Senior Partner, Management Director at J. Walter Thompson. He is responsible for
brand strategy and all integrated business activities for the FloodSmart marketing campaign.
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Check out FloodSmart.gov! |
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| Last Modified:
Friday, 21 January 2011 |
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