Just read this by Seth Godin; The Perfect Crime a very similar thing actually occurs in Insurance.  Thanks for the idea Seth.

I cannot factually speak on any of the lobbying or NAACP points.  Instead here is what I do know.

None of the insurance advertising you see actually shows you how to be a better consumer in the long term.  The companies only concern is on switching your insurance this year which, since the cost to acquire customers is high, is pretty stupid.  It takes several years to turn a profit on any individual, why would you only advertise for this year?  Because you are conditioning the masses.

Most of these “masses” also generally do not have a lot if any significant claims.  Yet millions are spent on advertising claim services.  An almost FACT, since this is from my experience, is most claims go fine.  Figure they would be grade a “B” or higher each time.  Let me know any service you have that is always an A+.  A couple of basic, proactive steps is all it takes to keep things going smooth.

Oh but you can “bundle and save”  or get a “discount double check”, etc, etc.  As I have said before, credit , plays a bigger role than just about anything else.  But of course we could not advertise the truth so let’s hide it with discounts whose collective impact is not nearly what credit + home ownership+education+marital status equals.

And the loop continues.  Instead of getting excited, like a mime saving $706 realize you missed  a shift in the market.  The goal each year should be to save between $0 and $300.  Reality is the higher your savings the longer you have been overpaying.  ***Yes, of course driving records clean up, people get married, etc.***

Either way, he could have written on a myriad of topics that marketers exploit.  Would love to see his take on insurance.

Thanks for reading, just some thoughts.