Allstate?s Aware Share campaign encourages safe social sharing
Allstate Insurance is promoting its home insurance offerings with a new initiative starring its Mayhem character in Tweets intended to make consumers aware of how what they post on social media sites could make them vulnerable to being robbed.
The insurance company believes over-sharing on social media can lead to home break-ins when people post they are on vacation or out of town. Through its Aware Share initiative, Allstate can provide helpful tips in an entertaining way for the general consumer base while simultaneously drawing attention to its own services.
"With the advent of more social networks and more people using them, sharing online, and including personal information, has increased dramatically," said Sanjay Gupta, executive vice president of marketing, innovation and corporate relations, at Allstate Insurance Company. "As our world and technology change, so do people's vulnerabilities.
"Allstate saw an important opportunity to educate consumers about safe sharing practices so they can enjoy the benefits of social media but also better protect themselves and their property," he said.
Smart sharing
Allstate has been doing video ads featuring actor Dean Winters portraying the Mayhem character for years, providing humorous insight into preventative home and auto care meanwhile promoting Allstate insurance bundles.
Its newest initiative coincided with the Allstate Sugar Bowl. In the commercial, Mayhem discovers a couple that has posted on social media that they are at the Sugar Bowl, revealing the fact they are away from home.
Mayhem takes this opportunity to burglarize their home while they are away, and Mayhem advises that sharing too much private information on social media can be harmful.
The ads are comical in that Mayhem burglarizes consumers? homes and sells their belongings on the Internet at MayhemSale.com. A live site, consumers could visit the page and see the couple?s ideal items that were being sold for discount prices.
The idea behind these ads came to Allstate after reports claiming that burglars use social media to plan attacks. According to Allstate, a small study of convicted burglars revealed that 78 percent of robbers use social media to do just that. Thirty-five percent of Americans ages 18-34 socially share their location, while one in every five people still do not use privacy settings on social media.
In addition to the ads, Allstate has launched a Web site at Allstate.com/AwareShare that gives tips about safe sharing on social media. The site includes access to Allstate's Digital Locker, a digital application that assists consumers with cataloging belongings and corresponding values in case of loss. Also on the site, links to privacy guidelines on social media sites are provided to show customers how to be safe on social.
Mobile first
Allstate has prioritized mobile and social in its marketing efforts in more direct ways, also.
For example, Allstate?s recently updated version of its Digital Locker free mobile application makes it easier and simpler for users to leverage their smartphone or tablet camera to take inventory of their belongings.
The app features faster set-up, easier search and more ways to secure inventory as well as seamless syncing between the Web and mobile devices. It shows how consumers and brands both are growing more comfortable with using or deploying mobile in property and other important matters (see story).
Allstate? mobile strategy has been ongoing.
In 2013, Allstate rolled out a mobile application that let customers track their driving behavior.
The Allstate Drivewise app provided near real-time updates with each trip and aimed to give consumers easier access no matter where they are. Drivewise measured things such as mileage, braking, speed, and time of day when a customer was driving. Using that data, Allstate calculated a discount for each customer using its telematics technology (see story).
Similar to its efforts in the past, the Aware Share initiative aims to stay present in today's conversations, which helps the insurance company stay present in customers' minds.
"Mayhem helps us highlight relevant vulnerabilities that consumers may or may not realize they face," Mr. Gupta said. "With many people traveling over the holidays, and posting their whereabouts online, the timing was perfect for this message.
"Part of helping people live a good life every day is keeping them educated about and protected from potential modern-day risks, such as over sharing on social media."
Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York