Achievements
For more than 65 years, GEICO has remained loyal to its customers by keeping costs low and passing the savings on to policyholders through attractive rates. The company is the premier “direct” writer of insurance, selling directly to the consumer as opposed to using the more traditional network of local agents.
Over the years, the company has refined and improved upon the direct model approach, using direct mail and other marketing initiatives to attract customers to its toll-free number. Well ahead of the competition, the company in 1981 introduced 24-hour, 365-day telephone service for sales, service, and claims. GEICO was the first major carrier to offer this service to its customers and remains one of the few providing complete 24-hour service.
In 1995, GEICO significantly increased its advertising expenditures to capture a much larger share of the private-passenger auto insurance market. The increased marketing budget, coupled with the use of humor in the commercials (a rarity in the stodgy insurance industry), has made the GEICO brand one of the most visible in the insurance industry. GEICO now places among the top three insurance companies in brand recall among consumers; it wasn’t even in the top ten a decade ago.
