Redefining QDOS Contractor Insurance – Brand Strategy
In 2022 QDOS Contractor Insurance embarked on a transformative journey to redefine their digital brand strategy. The brand was facing several challenges, including being perceived as outdated, corporate, and male-dominated. Our goal was to help QDOS reposition itself in the market, connect with a wider, more diverse audience within the flexible workforce, and create a brand strategy that resonates with today's self-employed business owners.
Our successful efforts to achieve this, included the development of a new website and a supporting social media campaign.
Strategic Thinking
Challenges:
Outdated Brand Perception: QDOS was perceived as outdated, out of touch, and male-dominated, which did not align with its diverse customer base.
Stiff Competition: Competitors like Hiscox and Simply Business dominated the market with pricing strategies, while newer players like Dinghy and Superscript presented modern and purpose-driven brands.
Brand Framework: Our approach was built upon the Brand Framework, consisting of Brand Story, Brand Position, and Brand Persona, ultimately leading to a cohesive Brand Strategy.
Brand Story: We anchored QDOS's Brand Story on a clear purpose: "To make business insurance easy to understand and easy to buy." We also envisioned a bold future where, by 2027, QDOS would be recognised as the most trustworthy and knowledgeable business insurance provider, achieving a 20% increase in customers and £20M in Gross Written Premiums.
Brand Position:
Audience: We identified QDOS's audience as both current and next-generation self-employed business owners, including diverse professionals such as IT contractors, dog groomers, barbers, designers, bakers, and electricians. Our message: QDOS isn't a one-size-fits-all insurer; we design policies to meet individual needs.
Goals: We set clear objectives, including educating customers about insurance options, making insurance more accessible by eliminating jargon, treating all customers as individuals, and using creativity to stand out in a corporate market.
Brand Persona: We crafted a Brand Persona that embodies knowledge as a superpower, focusing on simplifying complex compliance issues into understandable advice. QDOS is a brand that makes customers feel informed, never belittles, and always approaches with a smile. This persona is 60% Sage and 40% Everyman.
Brand Strategy:
Problem: Our strategy identified the problem of non-personalised insurance leading self-employed business owners to pay more for protection they don't need.
Insight: Many self-employed business owners lack a full understanding of their insurance requirements, often resulting in misfit policies.
Advantage: QDOS's in-depth knowledge and expertise in insurance and tax positioned the brand to advise customers effectively, providing tailored solutions.
Strategy: Our strategy was clear: demonstrate that buying from QDOS helps businesses go beyond. We aimed to position QDOS as a challenger brand, with ambitions beyond conventional resources, ready to bring change to the industry.
Creative Approach: To stand out in a competitive market, we emphasised the need for disruption. We proposed changing the value proposition and sharpening the brand position to create a brand that generates industry and press attention. We aimed to be where the audience was and speak to them directly.
Outcome:
The designs encapsulated our strategy and the essence of QDOS's new identity. The goal was to target the "100% All-in" audience, early adopters who would naturally attract a wider audience. We aimed to create noise, generate disruption, and be where our audience was.
Conclusion:
In collaboration with QDOS, we successfully revitalised their brand strategy, aligned it with their diverse audience, and developed a clear path forward. Our digital brand strategy, including the creation of a new website and supporting social media campaign, positioned QDOS as a challenger brand ready to disrupt the market and connect with today's self-employed business owners. Our work demonstrates that even in a competitive industry, with the right strategy and creative approach, a brand can redefine itself and thrive in the digital age.
