Confused.com
Encyclopedia
Confused.com, part of the Admiral Group
, is a British price comparison
website specialising in insurance and financial services.
, Wales
with its offices located near the headquarters of the Admiral Group. The Admiral Group floated on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004, it is currently the only FTSE100 listed company headquartered in Wales.
Confused.com is regulated by the Financial Services Authority
.
The marketing department came under new management in July 2010 when Mike Hoban formally passed a six month probation period and stepped into the role of marketing director. Prior to joining Confused.com, he spent 18 months as the Communications Director of Directgov
, helping to position their website as the ‘nation’s official website'.
and Comparethemarket.com
have entered the market, Confused.com has tried numerous different advertising vehicles. None have emulated the success of the initial campaign and Confused.com has slipped from the position of market leader to being the fourth largest car insurance comparison website in the UK.
Confused.com have a reputation for their television advertising campaigns starting way back at the company’s inception, when their in-house team came up with the idea of a man with a megaphone shouting about exactly what Confused.com was offering. This led seamlessly into the longest running of Confused.com’s campaigns, featuring simple cardboard props on a white background.
This was followed by adverts containing real life testimonials, featuring customers and prolific social media users talking about their experiences while using the website, as well as showcasing the website’s simplicity by explaining how it works. The campaign was produced using assistance from outside marketing agency, The Farm, who became Confused.com's first external creative agency.
A third wave of advertising was tested regionally in 2009 before being aborted. This campaign featured a haggard, puppet character called Confucius, which bore an uncanny likeness to the Star Wars character Yoda in appearance and speech.
A fourth wave of advertising launched in early 2010 focused on the concept of regret and featured members of the public lamenting that they could have purchased something they'd wanted if they had purchased their car insurance through Confused.com. The campaign was developed with leading agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB). However, following disappointing results and further loss of market share versus other television advertisers, Confused.com formally dismissed BMB in July 2010.
In September 2010, Confused.com introduced "Cara", an animated version of the original Confused.com logo, who features in the company’s latest advertising campaign. The campaign saw the appointment of another external agency; this time Hornet of New York. The campaign’s current tagline, "it pays to be Confused.com," has been running since January 2010, surviving from the ill-fated BMB "regret" campaign. In January 2011, an animated advertisement featuring Queen
's "Somebody to Love
" began running, with a tag line of "18 million strong and still growing". In February 2011 a new advert started featuring Diana Ross
' "Chain Reaction
" sung by the main character (voiced by Louise Dearman
) and 20 million more.
Marketing Director Mike Hoban has claimed the latest campaign has gained Confused.com 2 million customers since launch, however this claim seems at odds with commentary in the Admiral Group 2011 interim management report that documents a decline in market share and revenue.
Admiral Group
Admiral Group plc is a motor insurance company with its head office in Cardiff, Wales. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
, is a British price comparison
Price comparison service
On the internet, a price comparison service allows individuals to see different lists of prices for specific products. Most price comparison services do not sell products themselves, but source prices from retailers from whom users can buy...
website specialising in insurance and financial services.
History
Confused.com launched in 2002, becoming the UK’s first car insurance comparison site. It is based in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
with its offices located near the headquarters of the Admiral Group. The Admiral Group floated on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004, it is currently the only FTSE100 listed company headquartered in Wales.
Confused.com is regulated by the Financial Services Authority
Financial Services Authority
The Financial Services Authority is a quasi-judicial body responsible for the regulation of the financial services industry in the United Kingdom. Its board is appointed by the Treasury and the organisation is structured as a company limited by guarantee and owned by the UK government. Its main...
.
Management
Confused.com has undergone a high degree of management churn in recent years. At the top level, founding Managing Director Kate Armstrong, an IT consultant originally from Sydney, retired from the business in 2005, following the successful floatation of the Admiral Group. She was succeeded by Deborah Williams who took the reins from 2005 to 2007. The business underwent expansive growth in this period with profit hitting £36 million in 2007. It was with some degree of surprise therefore that the industry received news of Williams' departure to join a relatively unknown insurance broker. Williams was succeeded by South African Carlton Hood in the newly created position of CEO. However, unable to defend market share from ambitious new entrants, Hood in turn lasted less than 3 years in the role, leaving unceremoniously in 2010. The role of Managing Director is currently held by the Admiral Group CFO, Kevin Chidwick. Chidwick has let it been known this is intended as a temporary measure.The marketing department came under new management in July 2010 when Mike Hoban formally passed a six month probation period and stepped into the role of marketing director. Prior to joining Confused.com, he spent 18 months as the Communications Director of Directgov
Directgov
Directgov is the UK government's digital service for people in the United Kingdom, providing a single point of access to public sector information and services.The content is developed by government departments, working with a central Directgov team...
, helping to position their website as the ‘nation’s official website'.
Advertising
In early years, Confused.com achieved notoriety and success with a simple, repetitive direct response advertising format. In later years as competitors Moneysupermarket.com, GoCompare.comGocompare.com
Gocompare.com is a British financial services comparison website. The website enables people to compare prices on a variety of financial products, such as car insurance, home insurance, pet insurance, travel insurance, motorbike insurance, van insurance, mortgages and...
and Comparethemarket.com
Comparethemarket.com
comparethemarket.com is a UK price comparison website that is part of the BGL Group. The site aims to help consumers compare the market to find the best price and deals for them on a range of insurance products...
have entered the market, Confused.com has tried numerous different advertising vehicles. None have emulated the success of the initial campaign and Confused.com has slipped from the position of market leader to being the fourth largest car insurance comparison website in the UK.
Confused.com have a reputation for their television advertising campaigns starting way back at the company’s inception, when their in-house team came up with the idea of a man with a megaphone shouting about exactly what Confused.com was offering. This led seamlessly into the longest running of Confused.com’s campaigns, featuring simple cardboard props on a white background.
This was followed by adverts containing real life testimonials, featuring customers and prolific social media users talking about their experiences while using the website, as well as showcasing the website’s simplicity by explaining how it works. The campaign was produced using assistance from outside marketing agency, The Farm, who became Confused.com's first external creative agency.
A third wave of advertising was tested regionally in 2009 before being aborted. This campaign featured a haggard, puppet character called Confucius, which bore an uncanny likeness to the Star Wars character Yoda in appearance and speech.
A fourth wave of advertising launched in early 2010 focused on the concept of regret and featured members of the public lamenting that they could have purchased something they'd wanted if they had purchased their car insurance through Confused.com. The campaign was developed with leading agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB). However, following disappointing results and further loss of market share versus other television advertisers, Confused.com formally dismissed BMB in July 2010.
In September 2010, Confused.com introduced "Cara", an animated version of the original Confused.com logo, who features in the company’s latest advertising campaign. The campaign saw the appointment of another external agency; this time Hornet of New York. The campaign’s current tagline, "it pays to be Confused.com," has been running since January 2010, surviving from the ill-fated BMB "regret" campaign. In January 2011, an animated advertisement featuring Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Queen song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" began running, with a tag line of "18 million strong and still growing". In February 2011 a new advert started featuring Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
' "Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction (song)
"Chain Reaction" is a melodic Pop song, sung by Diana Ross, written by the Bee Gees, who also provided the backing vocals for the single. The track was released on the album Eaten Alive in 1985 and as a single twice - in 1985 and again in 1986....
" sung by the main character (voiced by Louise Dearman
Louise Dearman
Louise Dearman is a British musical theatre performer, currently playing the role of Glinda in the West End production of Wicked. She has a number of other professional stage and television credits, such as Eva Perón in Evita, and released her debut solo album, You and I, in 2005.-Early...
) and 20 million more.
Marketing Director Mike Hoban has claimed the latest campaign has gained Confused.com 2 million customers since launch, however this claim seems at odds with commentary in the Admiral Group 2011 interim management report that documents a decline in market share and revenue.