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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet With the iconic carriage of Concord Group Insurance Companies behind them, Gallagher Insurance Agency Owner and President Brian Sipe, at right, and Agent Jennifer Perreault hold their new (and deceptively heavy) trophy for their award of “Best Use of Cooperative Advertising” presented to Sipe by a representative of Concord Group Insurance Companies in October. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — A local insurance company known for their creative advertisements was recognized back in October for the memorable way in which they convey information about their services to the public.
Owner and President of Gallagher Insurance Agency in Caribou Brian Sipe accepted the award for “Best Use of Cooperative Advertising,” given by Concord Group Insurance Companies and presented by Chairman, President and CEO of CGIC Linda Day during the October conference held in Rockport.
The award was based on the effectiveness of cooperative advertisements over approximately the past two years, according to Sipe.
Gallagher Insurance is an independent agency that works in conjunction with a multitude of insurance companies they represent, like Concord Group Insurance Companies. While the cooperative advertisements done by Gallagher and Concord have proven to be effective, not all advertisements done by Gallagher are cooperative — in fact, some of their most memorable advertising moments were uniquely Sipe’s creation.
The creative mastermind behind the advertisements, Sipe can vividly recall his favorite piece of advertising: a television commercial independently created a couple years ago as Gallagher Insurance Agency’s annual holiday greetings commercial.
The grand plan for shooting the ad was to pan across Gallagher employees’ bare feet while they stood in the parking lot’s snow with freezing toes. The commercial’s audio track, featuring the holiday greeting, was to be added after shooting.
But as the video camera slowly recorded the feet as they twitched and danced in the snow trying to stay warm, the camera’s microphone picked up all of the unscripted audible discomfort expressed by the employees while their frozen feet were filmed — a more vivid spirit of the season in northern Maine would be hard to find. Sipe chose to keep the commercial’s audio as it was recorded instead of dubbing over it. At the end of the ad, Sipe can be heard saying, “Man, this is cold!” followed by the more traditional holiday greeting.
While that may be the ‘silliest’ ad the agency has done, the message is consistent to Sipe’s advertising theme — he wants customers to get to know his staff, because his staff wants to get to know all of Gallagher Insurance Agency’s customers.
“You can get insurance a million different ways — you can get it online, you can go through different agencies — but I want people to see our staff and know that we want to work for them,” Sipe said. “We may represent Concord [and other insurance companies] but we’re going to be working for our clients and Concord knows that, when they assist us with cooperative advertising, we’re going to write those policies where they fit best.”
And many of those policies frequently fit best with Concord.
“Concord has been a great partner with us — they have great rates, great services and they’re just a great company,” Sipe said.
But one of the reasons customers like working with Gallagher Insurance Agency is the same reason why Sipe likes working with Concord — if he has a concern, he can call the company and speak with someone he knows by name.
“When you go down to the company’s office and talk to people, it’s like they’re really happy to see you,” Sipe said.
An equally friendly atmosphere is apparent in Gallagher’s Caribou office, where their trophy is on display in the main entry room.
While they don’t have a trophy case as of yet, they do have a designated trophy shelf.
Gallagher Insurance Agency has cooperative advertisements with Concord Group Insurance Companies running pretty much year-round, according to Sipe.
Additional information regarding Gallagher Insurance Agency can be obtained by calling 498-8775.
