Launches its Winter Prep ’16 Campaign
In a major effort to help its insureds avoid the varied afflictions that winter storms can throw at New England homeowners, MAPFRE Insurance has launched a new consumer education website, dubbed “Winter Prep ’16”, that aimed at helping consumers avoid winter treats such as ice dams, frozen pipes the like.
The new Winter Prep ’16 debuted on its own dedicated page located at www.mapfreinsurance.com/winter. The site offers videos, tips, and information regarding ice dams, frozen pipes, and winterization recommendations that people can take to stop these risks before they occur. In addition, as the Commonwealth’s largest property & casualty insurer, the site also offers tips and information on safe driving in winter time.
“While this past winter was perhaps the worst on record, major winter storms are a reality in New England,” said Jaime Tamayo, President and CEO of MAPFRE North America. “At MAPFRE, our focus is on helping our customers when they need us most. The Winter Prep ’16 campaign can help homeowners prepare for the inevitability of winter weather, and if problems should arise, MAPFRE will be there to take care of our customers.”
The Winter Prep ’16 public outreach campaign includes informational emails, as well as a social media campaign on both Facebook and Twitter (#prep4winter). The insurer also has planned an advertising campaign to promote awareness. Materials also were sent to all of MAPFRE’s network of local independent agents for them to share with their insureds.
The new social media campaign includes the #prep4winter hashtag
So far, MAPFRE says that its agents have supported the new initiative by the Commonwealth’s largest homeowners insurer. Bruce Cochrane, President of Renaissance Alliance, a network of New England independent insurance agencies, appreciated MAPFRE’s latest effort.
“As independent insurance agents, we try to help our customers do the best they can to prevent adverse effects from winter weather. When insurance carriers offer agents and customers preparedness information in engaging and useful ways, it’s a real benefit to everyone. We appreciate the effort MAPFRE Insurance put in to provide our agents and customers with the necessary information to get through the winter months as safely as possible.”
AAA Northeast’s Senior Vice President of Insurance, Frank Doyle, chimed in as well. “We applaud MAPFRE Insurance and its efforts to help customers and our members protect their properties and have included this campaign material on the AAA website in an effort to spread the message.” Mr. Doyle noted that “taking steps to ensure that your home is updated appropriately to withstand New England winters can be difficult if you don’t have the right information or know who to call for assistance.”
MAPFRE received over 28,000 ice dam clams in 2015
The year 2015 saw New England hit with historic levels of snowfall coupled with abnormally cold temperatures. It was called the year of the “ice dam” epidemic in New England.
MAPFRE says that it alone received more than 28,000 ice dam claims resulting from the winter of 2015, three times the amount the insurer has ever received in any given year. Knowing that preventative measures can help avoid winter storm damage, MAPFRE wants to help homeowners prepare in advance for 2016 before having to deal with an unexpected winter storm’s aftermath.
