The president, Nigerian Corporation of Registered Insurance Brokers, Dr. (Mrs) Bola Onigbogi, says online marketers using the strength of the internet to delve into insurance marketing on the wings of digitisation, do not have what it takes challenge insurance brokers in the provision of insurance broking services.
Onigbogi in a recent media parley in Lagos said what makes the brokers outstanding lies in the strength of personalised services the use of digitisation by outsiders notwithstanding. This she retains, makes the insurance broker relevant world wide. She infers the mega mergers insurance broking firms have concluded and the mergers about to happen in the developed market, are a confirmation that brokers cannot be put out by outsiders taking advantage of digitisation.
She said such incursion may announce itself in the local digital space but brokers too she maintains, are already integrating the new digital processes into broking operations. She reiterates that with the pouch of brokers full with personalised services, “there is no way digital marketing will outclass, out perform the brokers.”
The NCRIB helm said many brokers in the market have realised the impact digitisation could have on the exclusive personal touch of a professional broker, and are therefore, growing and evolving with digitisation. Elated with switch being made to integrate the new process she said brokers are moving with the digitisation tide. She affirms that brokers are not walking away from digitisation but acknowledge it. “We know that things are changing and underwriters see digital marketing as the way to go. The challenge is for brokers to do more and change strategies, be more creative and meet the expectations of our clients.”
Onigbogi said there are several services that only brokers can offer including and not limited to risk improvement services to big clients that only professional brokers can handle and various broking services and clients trust brokers to handle their risk transfer services and this is not what outsiders in the digital space have the professional expertise to handle because it requires inspection, visitation, risk mitigation services against risks happening. This she said is the edge brokers have.
