Richard Dunkerley

Zurich yesterday announced the launch of a communications mix simulator, designed to enable financial advisers to assess the effectiveness of their client communication strategy.

Designed in partnership with the Beddoes Institute, the net reach simulator is an interactive iPad app which calculates the effectiveness of a communications mix based on the generational profile of an adviser’s client base.

Based on research conducted with over 500 advice clients as part of the AFA Adviser of the Year judging process, the app enables advisers to quantify the efficacy of specific communication channels with different client generations, measured against criteria including reach and the impact on a client’s likelihood to refer and relationship strength.

Mr. Richard Dunkerley, Head of Marketing for Zurich’s Life & Investments business, said the power of the simulator lay in its simplicity of use and the variety of ways it could be applied to an adviser’s business.

“As well as quantifying the effectiveness of their current communications mix, the app also allows those advisers wishing to shift the profile of their client base, for example from Baby Boomers to Gen Y, to adjust their communications mix accordingly,” said Mr. Dunkerley.

“By simulating the impact on reach and relationship strength of adding a new channel, for example printed newsletters, the app allows advisers to make more informed decisions about whether the investment in that channel is warranted,” said Mr. Dunkerley.

AFA Adviser of the Year Jenny Brown has been involved in the beta testing of the simulator, and has already seen the value in putting her own practice under the microscope.

Ms Brown said “The simulator has broad applications across our business but has proved particularly valuable in tailoring a communications strategy for a new group of clients recently acquired from another business.

“It has also shown us which channels work best for events or campaigns with specific client segments, helping us maximise impact and minimise wastage”, Ms Brown said.

The release of the app coincides with the launch of Zurich’s Trax2Success roadshow, a national series of events showcasing practice management and business improvement insights from leading financial advisers and industry experts.

“As one of the last truly independent insurers in the market and a longstanding champion of advisers, we are committed to helping advisers create value for their customers, and this latest innovation is just another example of how we bring that commitment to life”, said Mr. Dunkerley.

The iPad version of the simulator is available exclusively from Zurich BDMs, with a desktop version available from the AFA.

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Troy said: “After holding the Licence for a number of years, the compliance obligations were taking me away from running a specialist insurance and estate planning practice. I want more time with my clients not less.”

“The new Affinia group, backed by TAL, takes care of the licensee obligations and provides the service and support that both myself and my team need so we can clearly focus on giving high quality advice to our clients.”

A number of existing advisers under Troy’s Queensland-based Business & Estate Planning Specialists Licence are also joining him at Affinia.

Affinia General Manager Craig Parker said: “Affinia’s strategy is to partner with like-minded risk professionals. We remove the noise so our advisers can do what they do best, see more clients.

“We are serious about our network enjoying a seat at the table and having a voice to the continued design and evolution of Affinia. Troy brings very strong expertise as we evolve into a major risk specialist dealer group of choice.”

Troy said: “After researching the market, Affinia provided a very good fit for us and aligned similarly with our goals. I have a lot of time for Craig, the board and management team of Affinia. They have started this group with all the right intentions for risk specialist advisers.

“Running a boutique AFSL with all of the obligations as a licensee was taking me away from my core business. Affinia offers a broader range of support and professional services to enable me to better run my business without the obligations of being a licensee.

“Being backed by an independent risk specialist gives me the necessary confidence and depth of support for my business to grow going forward.”

Troy said the Affinia offer is competitive, and that the group is clearly keen to help risk advisers run their business, and profitably. Having an open APL not aligned to a big institution was a key differentiator that enables advisers to pick the products that best suit a customer’s need. That is truly customer focussed.

“The daily blog I receive from Keith Abrahams tells me to pursue my passion, so that’s what I decided to do. Running the business and providing advice to small business owners around their risk management and estate planning needs is what I am passionate about, and joining the Affinia group enables me to do that,” Troy said.

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To mark the opening of nominations for the 2011 AFA Adviser of the Year award, Zurich Life & Investments Australia (Zurich) has launched its Zurich Life TV channel on YouTube. The channel is designed to make it easier for advisers to access video content across more devices.

To celebrate the launch, Zurich has released a series of short videos featuring the finalists from the 2010 AFA Adviser of the Year award.

Across the ‘Tips from the Top” series, last year’s finalists share insights into the key drivers of their success, with individual videos covering marketing, networking, technology and client care.

“Whilst the fundamental drivers of adviser success have remained the same for decades, the nature of those drivers is clearly evolving” said Mr Colin Morgan, Chief Executive of award sponsor Zurich Life & Investments.

“Technology and marketing are just two areas where advisers are increasingly able to differentiate themselves and the evolving social media landscape really brings these two areas together.
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“That’s why we thought YouTube was the perfect medium to share the wisdom and insights of our industry’s most elite advisers,” said Mr Morgan.
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A Zurich survey of 700 advisers earlier this year found that 10 per cent of advisers owned iPads with a further 40 per cent planning to buy an iPad or other tablet device during 2011.
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“Online content is increasingly being accessed through apps rather than traditional browsers and the launch of our YouTube channel will make our content easier to view across more mobile devices” said Mr Morgan.
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Click to view The Tips from the Top series on YouTube
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Nominations for the 2011 Adviser of the Year Award open June 1st.

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