The battle becomes fierce as each year winds down. Holiday shopping surges. Black Friday madness sweeps the web. Consumers rethink everything from electricity plans to car insurance policies. For insurers, especially in Europe, November isn’t about pumpkins and postcards it’s renewal season, when customer loyalty gets tested like never before.
In this crowded digital bazaar, the attention economy isn’t a trend anymore. It’s survival.
Auto Insurance: A Market Shrinking While Competition Swells
No segment feels the squeeze quite like auto insurance.
While other insurance categories still enjoy momentum from pandemic-era digitalization, interest in auto policies has dropped noticeably. In Germany, Google search demand for car insurance in November 2021 was down 60–70% compared with pre-pandemic 2019 — even though people are driving just as much as before.
Why the shrink?
New car registrations have fallen by a quarter, thanks to supply chain chokepoints like the chip shortage.
Premiums have dipped by up to 8%.
Fewer claims during lockdowns improved insurer profits but now make raising prices nearly impossible.
Result: the 2020 renewal season alone cost insurers €250 million in lost premium volume.
A smaller market, colder customers, and hotter competition the trifecta no insurer asked for.
Competitors Everywhere: Tech, Retail, and Automotive Giants Join the Race
The competitive landscape now looks nothing like it did a decade ago.
Traditional insurers who once dominated TV ads and local agents are rushing into digital territory. In 2017, only 5 traditional insurers ranked among the top 20 online search results for car insurance. Today, that number has jumped to 12.
Meanwhile:
Digital-first insurance startups are growing
Car manufacturers are embedding insurance directly into ownership experiences
Big-tech and major retailers are eyeing the insurance industry
Add it up, and the market is polarizing fast:
5 winning insurers capture almost half of the sector’s profit
The remaining 70+ companies fight over scraps
A full 10 insurers operate at a loss even with massive marketing spend
Visibility alone is no longer enough. The spotlight is shrinking.
How Can Insurers Break Through and Keep Customers?
Insurance marketing has long leaned on aggressive acquisition tactics. But throwing more money into ads isn’t the answer not when:
67% of customers switch mainly due to higher prices
Regulations in Europe and the UK are cracking down on price-walking practices
Acquisition costs keep rising as attention gets scarcer
Instead, insurers must adopt smarter, more human strategies:
1. Smarter Marketing Spend
Every marketing euro should chase:
High-value customer profiles
Channels that deliver conversion not mere clicks
Data-driven bidding and early-stage customer engagement can deliver:
+30% marketing efficiency
+10% growth without extra spend
2 Product-Level Innovation
Customers want flexibility like:
Intrayear renewal options already used by 16% of German drivers
Longer-term policies that reduce churn
Telematics and behavior-based insurance, rewarded through safe driving
3 Turn Attention Into Action
Website visits must convert quickly.
Digital leaders:
Keep users 3–4× longer
Have 50% fewer bounce-offs
Create seamless handoffs to offline agents
Visibility must lead to policies not vanity metrics.
4 Build Ecosystem Touchpoints
Insurers can earn loyalty by showing up when customers actually need them:
When buying or repairing a car
When parking in a city garage
When fueling up
Insurance becomes invisible until it becomes invaluable.
What Winning Insurers Will Look Like
The future doesn’t belong to the loudest insurers. It is the property of people who:
Make everyday existence truly valuable.
Display the areas where client attention naturally flows.
Develop trust rather than merely brand perceptions.
Make ethical use of data to tailor services
The attention economy will belong to the insurers who remain in the customers’ sights rather than their blind spots.
