Are in-house content creators weakening your brand – or making it stronger?
Not so long ago, the insurance industry’s marketing strategy was rooted in traditional channels. Brand visibility and trust were built through carefully crafted advertisements in trade magazines, consumer publications, and a wide range of printed marketing communications – from brochures and prospectuses to direct mail campaigns. These materials adhered to strict identity guidelines, ensuring consistency and helping customers easily recognise and associate with established UK insurance brands. This disciplined approach created a sense of reliability and familiarity that anchored customer relationships.
Fast forward to today’s digital-first insurance landscape, and the rules have changed dramatically. Social media is no longer optional – it’s a frontline channel for customer engagement, education, and trust-building. To keep pace, many insurers have invested in in-house content creators tasked with producing fast, engaging social content.
But here’s the paradox: Does this agility come at the cost of brand identity and customer loyalty? Or can these creators become the strongest custodians of your brand proposition?
The Stakes: why brand identity matters more than ever
Insurance is built on trust and clarity. Customers don’t just buy a policy, they buy confidence that you’ll be there when life goes wrong. That confidence is anchored in a consistent brand identity: your promise, values, and personality.
When social content drifts from that identity, whether through trend-chasing, inconsistent tone, or fragmented messaging, the result isn’t just aesthetic confusion. It’s an erosion of trust, which directly impacts loyalty and long-term value.
The risks of unchecked content creation
Fragmented voice
Multiple creators posting without a unified tone-of-voice guide can make your brand feel disjointed.
Trend overload
Chasing virality often prioritises entertainment over clarity, leaving customers confused about what you actually offer.
Brand dilution
If every post looks and sounds different, your distinctive assets – logo, colour, tagline, even your personality lose their power.
The opportunity: creators as brand custodians
When guided by strong governance, in-house creators can humanise your brand, make complex products understandable, and build emotional connection.
They can:
- Bring your values to life through authentic storytelling.
- Educate customers with clear, accessible content.
- Reinforce trust by showing transparency and empathy in real time.
The solution: brand identity compliance
This isn’t about stifling creativity; it’s about guardrails that protect your brand promise. Think of it as brand identity compliance: ensuring every post aligns with your core identity while allowing room for creative expression.
Here’s how to make it work:
Define Your Non-Negotiables
- Brand promise: Why you exist and what you deliver.
- Tone of voice: Three to five traits (e.g., Reassuring, Clear, Human).
- Distinctive assets: Logo, colour palette, typography, and any signature phrases.
Build a governance framework
- Voice and tone guide: With examples for different scenarios (claims, renewals, crisis).
- Content rubric: Score every post on strategy, clarity, and brand alignment.
- Approval workflow: Fast but structured – especially for high-risk content.
Train and empower creators
- Onboard them with brand immersion, not just social skills.
- Provide templates and pre-approved proof points for regulated claims.
- Encourage creativity within the brand’s personality, not outside it.
The Bottom Line
In-house content creators aren’t the problem. Lack of brand identity compliance is.
With the right frameworks and tools, your social team can be both fast and faithful, delivering content that engages today without compromising the brand equity you’ve built over decades.
Your Turn
How is your organisation balancing speed, creativity, and brand integrity on social? Have you implemented a brand identity compliance framework for your content teams?
Cohesion Design is a creative agency working within the insurance sector. Established in 2003 they have over 35 years knowledge working in the insurance sector.