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It’s a grand oversimplification, but the easiest way to fix the health care system is to have healthier people. Coming from a former farm stand volunteer, the local, fresh and healthy eating mantra is a welcome message for America’s processed food consuming masses, communities and insurers.
The White House has made the healthy food message one of its main, non-political initiatives. Michelle Obama even spent time pushing the eating agenda at a soup kitchen in New York City that serves only fresh, locally grown food to the homeless. But, you might be asking yourself, what does steamed broccoli have to do with insurance marketing?
Insurance and food shopping are not so different. You can buy the fresh apple picked from a local orchard (local insurance agency), or you can get the processed, nutrition-free apple fruit pie, wrapped in cellophane (direct). The health benefits are clear but what about the benefits to the community simply by choosing local fruit over mass-produced fruit pie? Longevity, less pollution from transportation and packaging, money in local farmer’s pockets so they can grow, less doctor’s visits maybe?
The “greenwashing” phenomenon is tapering, but our daily decisions are no less important. Insurance agencies have a real opportunity to enhance their image and reach potential customers by sharing ideas or sponsoring programs that promote a healthy lifestyle, especially if it means reduced premiums for clients. Considering the insurance industry’s need for a facelift, selfless acts go a long way towards establishing trust.
One of the best examples of promoting a healthy lifestyle involves a couple in Richmond, VA who created a “Farm Bus” to deliver locally grown fruits and vegetables to residents in impoverished areas. While it has nothing to do with insurance, their idea of bringing healthy food to those who need it most is brilliant in its simplicity and can be reproduced.
Are there famers in your area? Do they work with local restaurants or senior centers? Are community supported agriculture (CSA) programs available? Farmers work long, hard hours, which leaves them little time for networking and marketing, but fortunately, most are opportunistic and willing to explore ideas or partnerships if a profitable outcome can be envisioned.
Convenience is the key. Like the Farm Bus bringing healthy food to people in the projects, you need to make it easy for the farmers. The easiest, most sustainable route is the Internet, a place where many local farmers are still unrepresented. Whether you’re blogging or maintaining a partner’s page on your site, allowing local farmers to piggyback your web marketing efforts is an excellent way to show support for the community and healthy eating habits. Of course, having the right insurance marketing and management system in place will make this much easier.
In reality, it’s nearly impossible to eat ONLY local, organic foods, and this blogger is not ready to give up the occasional Oreo or frozen pizza. However, with obesity and diabetes rates at an all-time high (especially in low-income areas), it’s time to reverse the trend with local food growers leading the charge. If not, we face a future of obesity and diabetes evolving into heart disease, an even bigger challenge for health and insurance professionals.
LocalHarvest.org provides a list of CSA programs from around the country. Click the image for more info.
Viewed by some as lunatics who needlessly put their bodies in harm’s way for a thrill, realistically, storm and tornado chasers provide valuable, ground level data about the force and course of devastating storms. Information is relayed to a radio or weather update station and the public is warned, possibly saving lives.
Tornado chasing doesn’t pay well (at all?) and is more like a skydiving-type hobby, but anyone willing to confront a column of wind and debris swirling at hundreds of miles an hour would be wise to insure their body and car. Beyond insurance coverage, a customer like the storm chaser requires a local insurance agent who understands the perils of their hobby and the effect the storm has on the local community.
An independent agents can explain liability and what’s at stake for the individuals auto, life and health should the worst occur. Storm chasers are an extreme example but any profession or hobby that puts a person and their property in danger requires considerations when it comes to choosing insurance.