Marketing

Q&A With Megan Bell, Senior Vice President, Marketing

Megan Bell (MB) has been part of the Falvey team for about seven years. She has a B.A. in English Communications and Spanish from Emmanuel College. She originally wanted to be an elementary school teacher but realized she favored writing and literature more. Using that educational background, she has built her career in marketing.

How does the marketing department support Falvey Insurance Group (FIG) as a whole?

MB: Our department supports Falvey in several ways:

Brand Management – Our brand efforts include creating the look and feel of our materials, communicating who Falvey is and what we stand for.  And most importantly, establishing how we want customers to feel when they interact with us.

Marketing and Sales Collateral – We create materials in various mediums (print, digital, video, etc.) to promote FIG’s products and services.

Content Development – Our team develops and maintains all information on our websites, social media, and blog, and also creates “searchable” content so prospects can find Falvey via relevant search terms. Our content is a great means of establishing Falvey as an industry expert.

Social Media Management – Marketing manages Falvey’s social media accounts, primarily focusing on LinkedIn, to share information with followers and attract new ones.

Campaign Management – We create materials and communications to support our sales initiatives, which include email marketing, advertising, direct mail, and more. The goal is always to better educate our existing and prospective customers about our product offerings.

Customer Research – Our team conducts regular surveys to better understand our customer experience, identify opportunities for improvement, as well as identify our strengths.

Event Management – The marketing department oversees, plans, and executes all events for the company and assists with exhibitions at external events as well.

Public Relations – Our team guides the official statements of the organization, either responding to existing mentions in the media or developing press releases of our own.

What is your department’s area of expertise?

MB: Our technical expertise relates to all of the above bullet points. However, our overarching expertise is driving awareness of the Falvey brand to new and existing customers, and supporting our organization in promoting the unique value of our product offerings.

How has your department evolved over time?

MB: The marketing department had just been established when I was hired in 2017. At the start, I felt a strong need to prove the team’s value and what we were capable of. Within the first year or two, we developed a whole marketing strategy. We worked on content development, designed two websites, created videos, automated our Continuing Education registration process, and introduced Net Promoter Score(r). I believe we have grown from the perception of simply “making things look nice” to a department that supports many facets of the organization. That holds true as we are now a team of 8 in 2024!

What differentiates Falvey’s marketing from others in the industry?

MB: Our marketing department differs from others in the industry because we can work quickly. Falvey is entrepreneurial in spirit, so the pace is fast and ideas are always evolving. We are fortunate to have the support of leadership to execute out-of-the-box ideas.

The other thing my department has that others do not is my teammate, Amanda. Amanda and I have very similar work styles in that we like to get things done. She jumps in wherever I need her to and is always thinking of ways Falvey can showcase its value. Having members of your team you respect, rely on, and trust will always set a department apart from others in the market.

What is your favorite marketing success story?

MB: Strangely, I think 2020 held many successes for our department. We quickly adapted to remote work and found opportunities to engage employees remotely to maintain our corporate culture. Seeing our coworkers enjoy time together, while apart, has been extremely rewarding. We also launched the RI chapter of Frontline Foods. And were recognized by RI Monthly as a Common Good Award winner.

I also have a fond memory of my first trip to the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association annual conference in 2018. I brought home two Awards of Excellence for marketing initiatives from my first year at Falvey. The entries were judged by other insurance marketers in the industry. It was a very validating moment to see that a humble MGA like Falvey can proudly stand amongst competitors, many of them large carriers.

 What’s something that excites you about the future of Falvey marketing?

MB: I am most excited about working closely with other departments in our organization. We’re collaborating with our Business Intelligence & Innovation team to close the gap between our marketing and sales data. We are partnering with Business Development & Markets to generate new business opportunities. We’re also working with our incredible in-house team of software developers. Who designed the systems our employees and customers use every day.

It is exciting to see that marketing in this industry is moving toward a more humanized and personalized mindset. Relationships matter and how an organization delivers customer experiences matters more than ever.