iMingle® Launches Group Buying for Car Insurance in Tennessee

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 30, 2012

iMingle®, an insurance marketing program sponsored by Unitrin Direct®*, announced today that it has launched in Tennessee as the first direct-to-consumer insurance provider to offer group buying for auto insurance. Tennessee is the 20th state launch for iMingle, whose innovative marketing approach to direct-to-consumer insurance allows individual policyholders to qualify for group discounts – and potentially save hundreds of dollars – by tapping into the collective buying power of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

“Buying insurance has never been a social experience before, but we are changing that,” said Michael Z. Stahl, iMingle’s head of marketing and operations. “We have expanded the popular concept of group buying deals to include insurance, which is something we all need. With iMingle, individual policyholders can qualify for substantial savings on their annual insurance costs simply by teaming up with a friend via their social networks. Our social tools make it easy to click, share and save.”

Launched in 2010, iMingle is aimed at what Unitrin Direct calls the “i Generation,” those consumers who routinely turn to their social networks to find information, compare deals and seek recommendations from their peers. For the first time, an insurance provider has developed its marketing strategy specifically to meet the needs – and expectations – of these policyholders by rewarding them for two things they are already doing: using social media and buying insurance.

Most insurance companies offer discounts if you insure multiple cars within a household. iMingle takes this concept a step further by allowing consumers to link, or “mingle,” their policies with those of their friends, so they can both benefit from the iMingle Network® Discount of 10 percent. This is on top of the many other iMingle policy discounts that are available.

The sharing process is simple. When customers purchase iMingle auto policies, they can use an online tool to let their friends know about the available discount. They have over a dozen choices for how they want to share their exclusive iMingle discount links, including email, instant messaging, blogging, and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If a friend clicks on the link and also purchases a policy – and both customers agree to the iMingle safety pledge – both customers get an extra 10 percent discount.

iMingle’s group buying component is believed to be the first in the insurance industry. However, it is not the only way iMingle customers can save money. Other policy discounts include:

   •  Preferred Payer Discount™ – the more customers pay up front when they buy, the more they save (with the greatest savings by those paying in full)
   •  Free-A-Tree® Discount – a five percent discount for drivers who get quotes and sign up online and enroll in the Easy-Pay automatic payment service
   •  Retro Loyalty Discount™ – iMingle rewards customers for their loyalty to their previous insurance carrier based on the length of their relationship
   •  Safe & Sound® Discount – additional discount for continuously insured drivers without accidents or moving violations for at least three years
   •  Happily Married Discount™ – married couples, happy or not, qualify for a discount, as do legally recognized civil unions and domestic partnerships

iMingle also bundles popular coverage options into one convenient and affordable package, called Protect Your Sanity®. It offers Roadside Assistance, Rental Car Reimbursement and Trip Interruption insurance.

In addition to Tennessee, iMingle is now available in 19 other states: Arizona, Colorado</location>, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. iMingle also offers renters insurance in Tennessee.

In addition to the iMingle emphasis on social media platforms, Unitrin Direct uses a variety of other tools to serve the techno-centric, i Generation consumer. Some recent additions include a new iMingle mobile site and iMingle Insurance apps for iPhone® and Android™, which provide drivers with a more convenient way to manage their insurance policies anytime and anywhere.

Connect with iMingle Max on Twitter and Facebook.

(Please note: The term “group buying” as used in this press release is intended to mean collective buying in the social context and not the purchasing of insurance as part of an employer-sponsored group or other affinity association.)

   •  Unitrin Direct is a business segment of Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR), a diversified holding company with subsidiaries that principally provide life, health, auto, homeowners and other insurance products to the individual and small business markets. The Unitrin Direct underwriting companies write personal lines auto and property insurance, using the iMingle program for many of their products. In Tennessee, the iMingle products are written through Response Insurance Company and Unitrin Direct Property & Casualty Company. The Kemper family serves its customers through a network of independent agents, brokers and career agents as well as directly to consumers via direct mail, web, employer-sponsored employee benefit programs and other affinity relationships. More information on the iMingle program is available at iMingle.com or by calling 800.315.0473.

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