In a significant development, a financial services tech firm has appointed an influencer marketing agency to run a launch campaign amidst a series of strategic moves.
The Durham-based firm recently secured £830,000 in investment after overfunding on Crowdcube. It has now finalised its launch team with the hiring of two senior executives and is set to enter the car insurance market in the first quarter of 2019, with a beta launch planned for a selected audience in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Graeme Stoker, joining as Chief Digital Officer, will be responsible for digital, media, and marketing activities, including managing the firm’s marketing agencies. Stoker brings over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and technology, with previous roles at BT and Northumbria University. Tom Spence, the newly appointed Chief Product Officer, comes from Barclays Bank, where he led the digital adoption of the bank’s app and online banking services. Spence will focus on developing the firm’s product, the UK’s first reverse auction marketplace for car insurance, along with future services in home, contents, pet, and travel insurance.
The Commercial Director expressed enthusiasm about the completed launch team, highlighting the exceptional talent onboard, including the Chief Technology Officer, Chad Crossman. The appointments reflect the firm’s disruptive nature and dedication to offering a real alternative to price comparison websites, with a focus on customer-centric services.
The agency has been tasked with creating an awareness-building campaign targeting early adopters among young drivers in the UK. This campaign will utilise influencer marketing, organic and paid social media channels, and the agency’s media house. Dominic McGregor, COO and co-founder of the agency, remarked, “We are excited to have been appointed as their lead agency as they look to a social-first launch in the coming months.”
In another notable achievement, the firm has become the first reverse auction marketplace to be welcomed as an Associate Member of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). BIBA, the official trade association for insurance brokers and intermediaries in the UK, recognised the firm following a rigorous approval process.
These developments signify the firm’s strategic readiness and commitment to disrupting the car insurance market with innovative, customer-focused solutions.