Nationwide’s Social Media Resources

We’re proud to be a part of the Nationwide Insurance family. They provide us with excellent resources, support and their insurance products help us meet the needs of Texas and Colorado residents. For this reason, we were excited to see a fellow insurance blog provide a breakdown of Nationwide’s social media activities.

The article provided links to all the social sites including Twitter, Facebook and Youtube but pays special attention to, “The World’s Greatest Spokesperson in the World,” and his various viral marketing and service-oriented exploits. In describing Nationwide’s choice of a brand icon, Insurance Marketing HQ had this to say:

The choice of a generic looking (as in not animated or Cro-magnon), non-celebrity as the spokesperson is a curious decision, but one that allows Nationwide to show off a humorous, human and creative side without selling out its brand. The campaign is special because the WGS actually interacts with fellow Nationwide employees and fans in his uniquely self-important demeanor, making them feel like part of the campaign.”

We thought that was a pretty accurate description and it makes a lot of sense when you read the comments by Steven Schreibman, vice president of advertising and brand management for Nationwide, who states in a press release:

Nationwide is outspent by most of our competitors, so this campaign will leverage on-line and viral media in a huge way to give fans a chance to learn more about our legendary pitchman and hopefully build a dialogue with Nationwide about how our personalized customer service can make their insurance experience better. The World’s Greatest Spokesperson in the World will be an advocate for consumers, listening to the things about insurance that frustrate them, and then challenging Nationwide to address these concerns.”

Perhaps we’re a bit biased, but we’d love to heard what you think about the campaign?

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Party Time Becomes Liability Time when Minors are Served Alcohol

Let’s paint a hypothetical, but realistic scenario. Summer is in full swing, your daughter is turning 21 and she wants to host a barbecue at the house to celebrate with childhood friends while home from college. While mostly responsible, some of her friends are a few months away from reaching the legal drinking age, but being a cool parent, you decide to host the party and even supply some beer and margaritas to help her enjoy the newfound freedom.

You’ve always taken underage drinking seriously, and know many of the other parents in your community do to. So how do you handle the underage crowd? You could card everyone at the door and give bracelets or stamps to those who are of age. You could take car keys away and allow everyone to drink if they don’t drive. You could turn a blind eye and assume the kids will be just as responsible now as they will be in two months and trust them to make sound judgments.

While it might not make you cool, keeping the underage crowd sober makes good financial and legal sense. According to a Waco Tribune article, quoting Lt. Tom Dickson of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission:

“People who have parties at home, or so-called social hosts, make up the bulk of those charged with giving alcohol to minors… People often think they won’t get caught. But charges could easily be triggered by a neighbor reporting the party or a guest getting in trouble on the way home.”

Even as responsible parents, it’s impossible to keep tabs on everyone at all times, so the second best thing beyond a bouncer-like bracelet system is covering your liability for worst case scenarios. According to the article, most Texas homeowners insurance policies include $100,000 worth of liability which can be increased to $500,000 for about an extra $15 to $20 per year.

The coverage would be available for defense fees and or court judgments that arise from a minor or other inebriated party-goer causing a lawsuit that traces back to the place where they were served.

Umbrella insurance is another option and ideal for people with a pool or trampoline, major injury risk in their own right, since it can cover much higher amounts of liability.

The ability to drink legally is a benchmark for, many young men and women, so no matter what insurance you choose, we encourage you to teach responsibility and not enable under-aged drinking under any circumstances.

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Armed Robbers on the Loose in San Antonio

San Antonio police report that more robberies in the area are occurring at local businesses. The perpetrators, two masked robbers were dressed up like teenage mutant ninja turtles according to witnesses. Police reported their latest attach was this morning at 2:30am at the Valero corner store in the 10400 block of I-35 North.

Using guns they managed to get away with a few hundred dollars and some cigarettes, but area police believe these are the same masked robbers that have been hitting businesses in the area for the past few weeks.

A security camera caught the crime taking place, which police hope will lead them to some evidence in the case. If you are a small business in this area having Texas commercial insurance should be a priority. You do not want damage done to you store that could leave you with hefty repair costs.

You can watch the KENS5 video from the last robbery here. Anyone with any information should contact the San Antonio Police Department at 210-207-7484.

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Senior Homeowners Seminar

Ever wonder what you will do with your home when your gone, or if you move to a nursing home? This Thursday, Keller Williams Realty of Katy at Cinco Ranch will be presenting a seminar at  11 a.m at 24001 Cinco Village Center Blvd. to show seniors their options.

Realtor Ginger Hopper has years of experience in the field and will work closely with the senior community staff the seniors the move is as stress-free and quick as possible. “I listen to their ideas, assess their needs and put a plan together,” explained Hopper.

Her services include providing a professional market analysis of their existing neighborhood and offering free staging of the homes to her clients. She also discusses having Texas home owners insurance and how it is important at any age especially when deciding what to do with your home as you re-locate.

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