Flo: The Personality of Progressive

Progressive is a company that has been very creative in their advertising since the beginning.  They have succeeded in becoming a well-known insurance company through they’re commercials.  I believe the reason they are so good at this is because they always stick themes.  For example, they use the same characters in a lot of their commercials. One we all know and love is the woman pictured to the right, Flo. She has been featured in Progressive's ad's for years. She is a known image and mascot of the company and when people watch her cute and funny commercials, it leaves them with a good feeling of progressive.

Some of Progressive's best commercials have been a part of this theme. All of the situations that Flo is seen going through are funny, but relatable situations that consumers can connect to. The following commercial was released in 2018 and demonstrates their insurance policies slightly while mainly portraying a relatable story between Flo and her sister.

I personally found this commercial super relatable because we all know this person. Even though the commercial doesn't focus on what they're selling, it will still be effective because of brand awareness. Consumers will relate to the story line, remember the ad, and will think of Progressive.

For one last example, here is one more recent Progressive commercial driving home the same concept of brand personality.. and one that gave me a good laugh.

Progressive is large enough as is that they don't need to explain who they are as a company in their ads and no one wants to listen to a boring commercial about insurance anyways, so why not relate to people and give your brand a personality?

Progressive's Fun-Filled "Best Day Ever" website

People feel very strongly about Progressive Insurance's TV spokeswoman, Flo. They either love her or despise her. Like her or not, though, she's certainly been an effective addition to Progressive's business - the number of new policies with Progressive has increased every year since Flo was first introduced in 2008 (WSJ.com)

Progressive recently introduced a new website, entitled "Flo's Best Day Ever," that plays off its popular "Best Day Ever" commercial.

There are many ways for visitors to interact with the Progressive brand through the new site's content. The website centers around a full-length animated music video for the "Best Day Ever" song. The site also offers a free download of the song. In addition, there is an Instagram photo page for visitors to submit their "Best Day Ever" photos, and links to Flo's and Progressive's Twitter and Facebook pages.

I think this website is going to be an effective addition to Progressive's media mix. It offers so many ways for people to be exposed to the Progressive's products and services, all while staying lighthearted and fun (two things normally not associated with car insurance). There are elements of advergaming (the Instagram photo contest), a viral video, and incentive to visit the company's social media and other sites for more information.

The car insurance industry is certainly competitive, and there is a major shift to appeal to young adults getting their own car insurance for the first time. With this website, I think Progressive will be able to compete with other major players like Geico, State Farm, and Allstate.