Confused.com, a UK insurance comparison web site, has endured a torrid 24 months as an undoubted loser in the GoCompare.com and CompareTheMarket.com advertising onslaught. It has seen a loss of traffic and revenue, resulting in a wholesale change in its market positioning.
The Offer
- Confused.com competes squarely in the general insurance comparison game
- Commercial deals in place, CPA revenue model presumed
- Hindered by legacy brand positioning (designed apparently by a 6-year old)
- Re-branding likely took a back seat to site redesign, now complete. Look for new branding in 2011/12
The Web Site
- Shift since 2008 from pure price-driven results to a focus on web site usability
- TV adverts demonstrate how easy it is to get a quote – and save money – using the site
- Branding is (thankfully) a second-class citizen to the experience
The Audience
- TV spots relentlessly focus on the site being suitable for use by the whole family, from teenagers to pensioners
- Further focus on those customers who might otherwise be scared of online comparison sites, being either too complex or unreliable
- Positioning itself as counter-culture to the grating, self-aggrandizing brands like GoCompare.com and CompareTheMarket.com
Verdict
Confused.com took it on the chin in 2009, losing market share and traffic. It’s not all doom and gloom; it still has brand currency, despite its desperate need for a face lift, and consumer awareness is good. It needs to take advantage of weary consumers, increasingly annoying by campaigns nearing their end of life. It’s likely punters will welcome the change of voice.
Importantly, Confused.com may find itself the unwitting trailblazer into the next phase of price comparison site competition, heralding the age of experience-led comparisons, not just price. This is an important step, not just for Confused.com but the industry as a whole.
David Blanar is a digital marketing practitioner and consultant based in London. You can read more at DavidBlanar.com and follow him on Twitter @dblanar
The Insurance IndustryAn Entrepreneur's Perspective
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I honestly think they are on the way down!
Terrible branding and I am not convinced by the site itself that it is future proof. Too ajax heavy.
@City Insurance – I agree, it is very ajax heavy. This can only slow future development. I wonder what they might have planned for mobile phone compatibility now that everyone has rolled out customer account log in functionality.
As for the branding, “confused.com” is still etched on people’s minds deep down. They just need a decent/effective campaign to give them a boost. Unfortunately, they’ve not managed to stand out with their “real customer” focus (despite it being the better of their competitors) and their “Confucious” effort was woeful.
Don’t write them off by any means!
This is an interesting moment for Confused.com. I think we all agree its branding needs work, but from a marketing perspective, there are some very decent pieces of cloth to fashion its next move.
Not only has Confused.com smartened up its web site – and we can debate the ajax impact, I personally welcome anything that increases usability – but it has what all marketing managers dream: unprompted brand awareness. In research I’ve seen (in 2008, to be fair), it was second only to GoCompare.com.
It is a hyper-competitive market and no one would guarantee success. Plus, there may be major internal problems we’re unaware of. But on the face of it, Confused.com seems well-positioned to make a real push in 2011, with a re-brand and, presumably, new TV creative.
@Ernest I totally agree!! They have the brand recognition, it might only take another campaign to re ignite everyone’s faith in them again.