By John Novaria

A wise insurance executive once told me, “People try to make insurance too complicated.” As a communications professional, that was music to my ears.

Don’t get me wrong. Complexity comes with the territory when your job is protecting assets while balancing the interests of policyholders, regulators and shareholders.

There has to be a counterbalance, and that’s why Triple-I exists: to demystify insurance. It’s a meaningful mission given that everyone has numerous encounters with insurance in their lifetime. A product that is essential – and often required by law – should be understandable and accessible.

Behind every insurance transaction there are trade organizations setting rates, lobbying and advocating for consumers. They’re the backbone of an industry that contributes $630 billion to the GDP, employs 2.8 million people and paid $404 billion in claims last year.

All of this doesn’t magically happen. The insurance industry functions effectively only when everyone’s on the same page. There’s power in partnership. And in order to succeed, these organizations rely on communications to work together. In fact, communicating with impact and immediacy has never been more important. In the current crisis, it’s imperative for unifying people, conveying confidence and ensuring transparency.

Over time, Triple-I has seen an increased demand for PR services from trade associations and professional organizations that have limited communications staff or seek a stronger connection to the industry. To address this need, we developed an agency model and engaged professionals with strong communications and insurance background to steer the effort.

The result is Amplify, a public relations consultancy designed to help insurance industry organizations drive increased awareness of their mission and deepen their industry engagement.

Some of our clients are the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU), Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), Lightning Protection Institute (LPI), National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds (NCIGF), National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). From coalition building to professional development to research, each plays a vital role and has unique communications challenges. To meet those challenges, Amplify draws from the collective resources of Triple-I and The Institutes, delivering a rare combination of insurance acumen and communications proficiency.

Here’s more on Amplify, and in the coming weeks we’ll be sharing some early client successes. If you want to talk about your organization and its challenges and opportunities, I love to listen.

John Novaria is executive director of Amplify. He can be reached at johnn@iii.org.