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We, Too, Are the NFIP: JWT

Jim Caponigro, JWT

color logo of JWT The NFIP is a single organization with several components, all uniquely suited to carry out its numerous and diverse functions. Fewer than 175 Federal employees work in the Mitigation Division at FEMA. But more than twice that many specialists work for FEMA contractors to support the efforts of their Mitigation Division counterparts. This article is the second in a series about the companies that currently are contracted to assist the Mitigation Division in fulfilling its mission. We want you to know who these companies are and what they do so that the next time you interact with the NFIP, you'll have a better idea of how the organization works.

In 2003, FEMA's Mitigation Division began searching for a marketing company to help convince the country to protect their homes and businesses with flood insurance. It took more than a year and a half to award a contract to the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising company.

JWT carries a rich tradition in managing some of America's best known brands. Their clients include Ford Motor Company, the United States Marine Corps, Orkin Pest Control, Kraft Foods, and Nestle, just to name a few. JWT is not only known for being the first advertising agency in existence, but the agency also has an enormous geographical footprint, with offices in 150 cities located in 86 countries. Advertising Age ranked JWT as the Number 3 agency network, worldwide, in 2005, with revenues of $1.3 billion.

The primary goal of JWT's NFIP marketing strategy is policy growth. NFIP policy growth means financial security and peace of mind to those affected by flood waters, as well as less reliance on the government's disaster assistance fund. FEMA has tasked JWT with developing a program to reach an annual 5-percent net policy growth. Led by the company's Atlanta office and including members from our parent company, WPP, and three WPP sister companies, the JWT marketing team delivers the optimal variety of experience to meet this aggressive 5-percent net policy growth goal and to provide seamless marketing support to the NFIP.

JWT manages brand direction, strategic planning, creative development, administration, research, and financial services for the NFIP's marketing initiatives. RMG Connect (Minneapolis, Chicago, New York) provides direct mail efforts, online advertising, and website development for the program, creating Floodsmart.gov and Agents.floodsmart.gov. Ogilvy Public Relations (Washington, DC) organizes and drives NFIP consumer, influencer, and media outreach efforts. Mindshare Media (Atlanta, New York) handles all NFIP media planning and placement for broadcast and print media.

Together, these companies supported the Mitigation Division in creating the FloodSmart campaign. The campaign communicates "Everyone is at risk" messaging, featuring a red warning label, to the public and to key stakeholders, including the agent community, insurance companies, state and local public officials, real estate professionals, and lenders. It is important for consumers to realize that homeowners insurance doesn't cover flooding and just as important for the agent community to become ambassadors of the program.

JWT developed means to bring new customers into the flood insurance program, retain existing policyholders, and reacquire lapsed customers. Consistency across all communications and brand elements helped build program recognition immediately, continues to grow brand awareness for the NFIP across the country, and contributes to policy growth by linking consumers to agents.

An integrated communications campaign was established to surround consumers and key stakeholders with the risk message and to motivate them to take action to protect themselves. Direct response television is just one of the ways the FloodSmart campaign reaches a broad audience. Other target programs include print advertising, public outreach, direct mail, online banners, key word search, and sales support materials that provide insurance agents around the country with tools to help explain to their customers and prospects the risks of floods as well as the importance and benefits of NFIP coverage.

By fall 2006, NFIP messages on direct response TV had been seen 800 million times by cable TV viewing Americans. And by the end of 2006, direct mail had been sent to more than 9 million homes. Online advertising was seen as many as 100 million times. The NFIP print ad "Coaster" reached more than 20 million readers of Parade and USA Weekend magazines. In 2006, JWT's public outreach efforts generated more than 2,000 stories in daily newspapers and television news outlets about the benefits of flood insurance.

JWT is now in the third year of its 5-year contract. New to the program this year was production of a television public service announcement (PSA) designed to gain consumer attention about the 2006 hurricane season. JWT has considerable experience in producing PSAs. For example, the PSA program JWT created for the U.S. Marine Corps focuses on the dedication and hard work of the Marine Corps. This program regularly achieves more than $5 million a year in free media exposure.

black & white photo of a clarinet player performing on a sidewalk street
New Orleans jazz clarinetist Lewis Ford is recorded for FloodSmart's PSA. (Photo courtesy of JWT)
Putting together a PSA program for the NFIP took several months. At the end of May 2006, JWT began looking for a director to bring to life the idea of a new NFIP PSA. They settled on James Gartner, who recently filmed the movie "Glory Road" in New Orleans. This city became the central setting for the new NFIP PSA, titled "Listen." The PSA was designed to generate awareness and inform communities about the risks of flooding from hurricanes. In the PSA, experts predict another active hurricane season. Important to the concept was the use of water imagery to communicate this message, as well as having the message delivered by a credible source. It was decided to tell the story through music.performed by musicians of New Orleans.

Casting directors were sent out to scout locations and interview musicians who would perform in the PSA. Of the 110 musicians who auditioned, seven were hired. Accompanying Mary Jo Vrem (the Mitigation Division's contract project manager) on the production filming were the JWT people responsible for putting this entire process together, from coming up with the idea to presenting it to FEMA to completing the PSA's production: the producer, account manager, writer, and art director. After two 12-hour days, the action was put down on film. Locations included areas in the French Quarter, the Ninth Ward, and Jackson Square.

Following the shoot, editing took place in New York City under JWT's guidance. This portion of production took 2 weeks and included editing, coloring the film, adding graphics and the titles, recording the voice-over announcer, and mixing the music.

Finally, "Listen" was sent to television stations in 18 states along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard. It was first aired in August 2006.the culmination of a 3-month process! It is too early to determine how widely this PSA has been used; however, the overall impact of the FloodSmart campaign has been significant since it began. Since the inception of the FloodSmart campaign in 2004, the NFIP's policy base has shown 27 consecutive months of growth (through August 2006). And FEMA's growth goal has been surpassed in many states.

Jim Caponigro is a Senior Partner, Management Director at J. Walter Thompson. He is responsible for brand strategy and all integrated business activities for the FloodSmart marketing campaign.
 Last updated on February 1, 2007