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UK Insurance Aggregators
Description: This comprehensive report provides insight into the market size of aggregator-instigated sales of
private motor and home insurance as well as the key issues affecting the market such as regulatory
scrutiny from the FSA. It also analyses consumer behavior, includes profiles of the leading
aggregators and concludes with some thoughts on the future development of the sector.
Scope
- Consumer behavior analysis based on the Price Comparison Site Survey which surveyed 5,000
holders of car insurance
- Profiles of the leading aggregators including information on financials, sales figures, product
coverage and company strategy
- Market sizing data on the market share of aggregators in the home and motor markets
Highlights of this title
The aggregator space has become more competitive in 2008, with Comparethemarket.com,
GoCompare.com and TescoCompare.com spending significantly more on marketing in the first half
of the year. It is likely that this high level of competition will continue in 2009.
Many aggregators already have strong brands, which has had the effect of increasing the volume of
customers returning to the aggregators site at the time of renewal. These customers may display
more brand loyalty in the future to the aggregator rather than the insurance provider.
The majority of consumers (76.2%) surveyed stated that they had visited a price comparison site
at the time of their car insurance renewal, which is testament to the popularity of the services that
these sites provide.
Key reasons to purchase this title
- Assist in planning your aggregator strategy
- Understand the market potential for aggregators
- Gain insight into the main trends affecting the aggregator market
Contents: Overview
Catalyst
Summary
Methodology
Executive Summary
Aggregator-instigated insurance sales have grown dramatically in 2008 cementing the importance
of this channel
Aggregators are estimated to generate over 40% of private motor new business GWP in 2008
Confused.com and Moneysupermarket.com had the highest prompted brand awareness
Competition is high between aggregators but they have a lot of scope to grow as more consumers
try these sites
Competition between aggregators is likely to remain high and may lead to pressure on profits
Around 80% of consumers are willing to visit a price comparison site in the future
Market Context
Introduction
Aggregator-instigated insurance sales have grown dramatically in 2008 cementing the importance
of this channel
Aggregators are estimated to generate over 40% of private motor new business GWP in 2008
Aggregators have significantly increased their share of new private motor insurance premiums in
2008
Datamonitor estimates that aggregator-instigated home insurance sales will account for 4% of new
home insurance business sales in 2008
Aggregators have doubled their share of the home insurance market since 2007
The first signs of a backlash against aggregators have emerged in the market
The aggregator channel has recently become the subject of regulatory and media scrutiny
BIBAs study revealed consumer confusion over price comparison sites
An FSA study found that certain price comparison sites had shortcomings
A subsequent FSA review found that price comparison sites have made significant improvements
The consumer group Which? scrutinized the accuracy of price comparison sites in August 2008
Some insurers are embracing aggregators while others are choosing not to appear on the sites
Direct Line does not appear on aggregators
Norwich Union Direct withdrew its products from price comparison sites in September 2008
Greenbee and CIS have both launched products designed specifically for the aggregator space
Aggregators allow brokers to compete against direct insurers and affinity brands
Brokers can compete more effectively with direct insurers and affinity brands through partnering
with aggregators
Aggregators have taken steps to increase the number of brokers appearing on their sites
GoCompare.com became an associated member of BIBA in May 2008
Customer Focus
Introduction
Aggregators are now in the same league as large direct insurers with regard to brand awareness
Confused.com and Moneysupermarket.com had the highest prompted brand awareness
More than three quarters of consumers visited a price comparison site to obtain car insurance
quotes at the time of renewal
Younger consumers are more likely to seek motor insurance quotes from price comparison sites
The most common way to find an aggregator is through an internet search engine
Aggregators have reinforced the commoditization of motor insurance
Over half of consumers that obtained quotes from an aggregator went on to buy one of the policies
The majority of consumers will choose the cheapest quote
The share of the price comparison market by insurance brand is highly fragmented
Aggregators have substantial opportunities to grow
Around 80% of consumers are willing to visit a price comparison site in the future
Aaggregators need to persuade consumers that they can get them the best deal
More than a fifth of consumers not currently using aggregators remain reluctant to use them in the
future
The aggregator market has become an increasingly crowded space from a marketing perspective
Advertising spend has dramatically increased as new competitors step up their marketing
campaigns
Aggregators focused their advertising on television campaigns in H1 2008
Confused.com launched an innovative marketing campaign in 2008
Competitve Dynamics
Introduction
The majority of aggregators operate a cost-per-sale model
Aggregators allow consumers to compare prices and offerings among many insurance providers
Aggregators are different to brokers in terms of the level of transparency displayed to the
consumer
Aggregators earn their revenue from a cost-per-sale model or cost-per-click model
Aggregators can also generate revenue through the sale of advertising space on their websites
Moneysupermarket.com currently uses a hybrid of both pricing models
The cost-per-sale model is the dominant structure used by most aggregators
Cost-per-click models may become less prevalent as competition grows in the market
Most aggregators return actual prices rather than indicative prices
The majority of aggregators offer actual quotes, while others provide indicative prices
Most competitors have incorporated XML technology onto their sites
Many brands offer a price comparison service which is powered by an aggregator
A large number of brands operate price comparison services which are powered by a small number
of aggregators
Comparison services can be white-labeled or co-branded
New players have established strong brand awareness among consumers
TescoCompare.com is well positioned to compete with established players in the market
More than 60% of consumers that visit price comparison sites paid a visit to Confused.com
The most popular site for car insurance sales was Confused.com
Confused.coms turnover increased between H1 2007 and H1 2008; however, its operating profit
margin dropped as it faced greater competition
Confused.com is part of the Admiral Group
Confused.com increased its market coverage and panel depth in 2008
Confused.com generated 13 million insurance quotes in 2007
Confused.com spent more than £7.5m on television advertising in H1 2008
Confused.coms revenue increased in H1 2008, but its operating profit fell
Moneysupermarket.coms insurance revenue grew by 50% between H1 2007 and H1 2008
Moneysupermarket.com entered the online market in 2003
Moneysupermarket.com is organized into four verticals
Moneysupermarket.com uses television as a central part of its marketing campaign
Moneysupermarket.coms insurance vertical revenues climbed by over 50% in H1 2008 to £39.7m
Moneysupermarket.com aims to improve the customer experience through a variety of strategies
Moneysupermarket.com launched its customer promise in 2008
Moneysupermarket.com aims to reduce banner advertising and increase editorial content on its site
Moneysupermarket.com encourages consumer engagement through forums and user reviews
TescoCompare.com entered the market in September 2007
TescoCompare.com currently offers comparisons on home, motor and motorbike insurance
products
TescoCompare.com spent £4.9m on advertising in H1 2008
Comparethemarket.com aims to become the leading price comparison site in the UK
Comparethemarket.com launched in 2006
Comparethemarket.com is aiming to become the leading price comparison site in the UK
Comparethemarket.com spent £7.6m on advertising in H1 2008
GoCompare.com uses a five-star rating system to compare cover levels
GoCompare.com has built its brand based on feature comparison
The company spent £10.7m on advertising in the first half of 2008
Lloyds TSB launched a new price comparison site called Insurance.co.uk in March 2008
Insurance.co.uk is an insurance-only price comparison site
The company operates a five-spot rating system on its site
Future Decoded
Introduction
New business lines and recessionary pressures create opportunities for aggregators
Aggregators have the opportunity to grow their business in the home and travel insurance markets
Recessionary pressures make aggregators attractive to consumers giving them an opportunity to
grow
Use of aggregators may lead to lower retention rates which would help to grow the aggregator
market
Competition is increasing in the market and regulatory and media scrutiny is a threat
Competition between aggregators is likely to remain high and may lead to pressure on profits
Regulatory and media scrutiny are likely to grow as more consumers use aggregators
APPENDIX
Methodology
Price Comparison Site Survey asked over 5,000 people about their use of aggregators
Further reading
Ask the analyst
Disclaimer
List of Tables
Table 1: Estimated aggregator-instigated private motor sales, 2007e-2008e
Table 2: Estimated aggregator-instigated home insurance sales, 2007e-2008e
Table 3: You can now obtain car insurance quotations on the internet from price comparison sites.
Which of these price comparison sites have you heard of?
Table 4: Total brand awareness for ten leading direct insurers in the UK
Table 5: When your car insurance policy last came up for renewal, did you visit any price
comparison sites to obtain quotations?
Table 6: When your car insurance policy last came up for renewal, did you visit any price
comparison sites to obtain quotations?
Table 7: Which sources of information did you use to find out about this/these price comparison
site/s?
Table 8: Once you had obtained quotes from the price comparison site, did you buy one of the
policies or were you just using the site for research purposes?
Table 9: What made you decide to buy from this comparison site?
Table 10: And which of the following companies is your car insured with?
Table 11: Would you use a price comparison site in the future to obtain quotations for car
insurance?
Table 12: You said that you used the price comparison site for research purposes but didnt buy via
the site. Why was that?
Table 13: Would you use a price comparison site in the future to obtain quotations for car
insurance?
Table 14: If no, why not?
Table 15: Aggregators by advertising spend, 2006 to H1 2008 (£)
Table 16: Top insurance aggregators advertising spend by media, H1 2008 (£)
Table 17: Partnerships between brands and aggregators
Table 18: The top 5 aggregators by prompted brand awareness, advertising spend and year of
market entry
Table 19: Which of the following sites did you visit?
Table 20: You said that you bought your car insurance policy through a price comparison site.
Which price comparison site was that?
Table 21: Confused.coms number of quotations by product, 2003-07 (m)
Table 22: Confused.coms advertising spend by media, H1 2008
Table 23: Revenue and operating profit for Confused.com, H1 2005 to H1 2008 (£m)
Table 24: Moneysupermarket.coms advertising spend by media, H1 2008
Table 25: Moneysupermarket.com insurance vertical key performance indicators, H1 2007 to H1
2008
Table 26: TescoCompare.coms advertising spend by media, H1 2008 (£)
Table 27: Comparethemarket.coms advertising spend by media, H1 2008 (£)
Table 28: GoCompare.coms advertising spend by media, H1 2008 (£)
Table 29: What is your age?
Table 30: What is your household income?
Table 31: Are you male or female?
List of Figures
Figure 1: Datamonitor estimates that aggregator-instigated private motor sales will account for
44% of new business premiums in 2008
Figure 2: Confused.com has the highest prompted brand awareness
Figure 3: Datamonitor estimates that aggregator-instigated private motor sales will account for
44% of new business premiums in 2008
Figure 4: Aggregator-instigated private motor sales grew significantly in 2008
Figure 5: Aggregators accounted for 4% of new home insurance GWP in 2008
Figure 6: Aggregator-instigated home insurance sales doubled in 2008
Figure 7: Timeline of major events in the aggregator sector
Figure 8: Confused.com has the highest prompted brand awareness
Figure 9: Churchill had the highest total brand awareness in 2007
Figure 10: More than three quarters of respondents visited a price comparison site when their car
insurance came up for renewal
Figure 11: The propensity to visit a price comparison site decreases with age
Figure 12: Internet search engines and television advertising are key sources of information for
consumers
Figure 13: Over half of consumers that obtained car insurance quotes went on to buy one of the
policies
Figure 14: It is essential that aggregators can offer their customers the cheapest price
Figure 15: The share of the price comparison market by insurance brand is highly fragmented
Figure 16: A large proportion of consumers were willing to visit a price comparison site in the future
Figure 17: Many consumers believe that they might not get the best deal on their motor insurance
if bought through an aggregator
Figure 18: Some consumers wouldnt use a price comparison site in future over fears they might not
get the best deal
Figure 19: GoCompare.com spent more than £10m on advertising in the first half of 2008
Figure 20: TV dominated aggregator spending on advertising in H1 2008
Figure 21: Confused.com launched its Million Pound Giveaway promotion in 2008
Figure 22: Summary of key competitor information
Figure 23: GoCompare.com had low brand awareness relative to its marketing spend
Figure 24: Confused.com was the most visited site for car insurance quotes
Figure 25: There are five clear leaders in terms of car insurance sales
Figure 26: Motor insurance dominates Confused.coms business
Figure 27: Confused.com spend the majority of its marketing on television advertising in H1 2008
Figure 28: Confused.coms operating profit margins have fallen as competition increased
Figure 29: Moneysupermarket.com spent £5.9m on television advertising in 2008
Figure 30: Moneysupermarket.com derived £39.7m in revenues form its insurance vertical in 2007
Figure 31: Moneysupermarket.com has used its communities and forums feature to increase
consumer confidence
Figure 32: Tesco spent 87% of its budget on television advertising in 2008
Figure 33: Comparethemarket.com launched in January 2006
Figure 34: Comparethemarket.com spent more than 75% of its advertising budget on television
advertising
Figure 35: GoCompare.com spent the vast majority of its advertising spend on television in H1
2008
Figure 36: What is your age?
Figure 37: What is your household income?
Figure 38: Are you male or female?
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