Strong content making the difference in complex markets

This article was originally published on Adformatie.nl.

Your classic car has chipped and scratched paint. That's bad enough. And it’s made worse when your insurer refers your pride and joy to a random garage. Hiscox understands classic car enthusiasts. But how do classic car owners find this niche insurer?

Classic cars are about so much more than just insurance. This target group attaches enormous value to their treasured vehicles, explains Marketing Director Jan Willem van Es of Hiscox. "Classic car owners often see their vehicles as an extension of themselves, sometimes as part of the family. At Hiscox, we understand this passion, and we want to capitalise on it. It's about protecting not only our customers' property, but also their passion."

iO already has an established relationship with Hiscox. The 'Classic Cars' campaign, a recent example of the collaboration, showcases perfectly how the right content responds to the car enthusiast’s love and passion. Patrick Severein, Creative Director at iO, talks about the challenge: "Our customers, like Hiscox, have a lot of content to offer. We really need to dive deep into the content to find stories that are relevant and engaging for the target audience.” He explains that High Quality Content Marketing is not about superficial, throwaway content, but about valuable, strategic content that really positions a brand. “The goal is to touch the target group, to understand what moves them, and translate those insights into creative, rich content.”

Personal stories from the enthusiasts

A two phase campaign: in the first phase, we built awareness, using the format "On the way to my classic car". In it, a car enthusiast, Marten, goes in search of his dream classic car, accompanied by presenter Roland Tameling. This format, with the enthusiast’s personal stories at their heart, give the viewer a glimpse into the love and passion for classic cars.

The second phase focused on the research phase and was entitled "From scratches to crashes". Sharing stories from owners who had experienced damage or theft. Hiscox highlighted their unique approach to insurance, with cars that are restored to their original condition after an accident. This kind of tailor-made content matched the core message seamlessly: "Hiscox understands special insurance." Severein: “This format didn’t just demonstrate that Hiscox understands what classic cars mean to their owners, but also that it’s their expertise that makes a difference when something goes wrong.”

Hiscox does not have a direct relationship with the insured drivers because they work with brokers and advisors. An important objective of the campaign was to bring prospects into contact with the right advisor. The results were impressive: the campaign generated 4.8 million display impressions, 1.2 million views on YouTube and more than 5,000 visits to the product information page. In doing so, the campaign not only made the brand more visible, but also strengthened the relationship between Hiscox and classic car enthusiasts. The campaign was also awarded a silver Grand Prix Content Marketing Award in the B2B category in November 2024.

High Quality Content Marketing according to iO

iO's approach is about more than just telling a good story. The agency specialises in working with brands that have complex, substantive messages. "Our promise to our customers is that with High Quality Content Marketing we don’t just attract attention, we also build brands," says Severein. “This means that we don't make forgettable content, we always find the magic that distinguishes the brand.”

One of iO’s driving principles is that the content we create should always be on-brand. "Content has to be clearly linked to the core values of the brand," explains Severein. “For Hiscox, this means that every message, every piece of content, has to remain faithful to the brand’s core proposition. It's about so much more than just selling the product; It's about creating recognition and trust among the target group.”

According to Severein, this approach requires a deep understanding of both the customer and the target group. “With Hiscox, we really had to empathise with the classic car enthusiast’s world. What motivates them? What is important to them? Only when we had a deep understanding of that, could we start building a strategy and develop creative concepts with impact.”

"There is a common misconception that 'boring' topics lead to boring content, but in fact, the opposite is true."

Content that touches people

Severein emphasises that High Quality Content Marketing can be a defining factor in complex markets. “It’s often the case that the more difficult the message, the greater our success when it comes to the creative interpretation. We see this not only when we are working with insurers, but also in our work in other sectors, such as banking and engineering. There is a common misconception that 'boring' topics lead to boring content, but in fact, the opposite is true. That is exactly where our strength lies: converting complicated material into content that touches people.”

Curious about what iO's High Quality Content Marketing can do for your brand? Read more here.