We heard this morning that the internet domain name www.insure.com traded hands for a cool NZ$21million, and this is regarded as the highest amount ever paid for a domain name, bettering www.sex.com by $5.3million. I needed to check the facts and found this reference…  and another one here…so we presume it’s entirely true.

Surprised?

We’re not.

Especially since the word ‘insurance’ is reputably the most expensive adword (paid search term) on Google.

But what does this all mean. Does it mean people are more interested in insurance than sex?  Yeah… right!

Clearly there is an assumption by businesses around the world that insurance lends itself to the internet and that there is money to be made in this way. It certainly puts paid to the theory (repeatedly trotted out by those regular, old fashioned, overpriced life insurance companies) that life insurance must be sold… and that people don’t buy life insurance.

I mean, come on… you think someone’s going to buy the domain name www.insure.com for $21mil if no-one buys life insurance online?

We’ve been saying for some time that life insurance is the next big thing on the internet.

Looks like someone’s paid $21mil to prove it.

We appreciated receiving this comment from Carl…

Your radio advert seriously undermines your bragging about using plain English – the grammar is “plain wrong”.

I quote “..while this may work out good for your family…”. This is terrible English. Things can’t “work out good”; they might work out “well” or even “very well”.

This may seem petty and trivial to you, but it irritates the heck out of me every morning on my way to work and I can’t picture myself buying anything from your company as a result.

So there! Now I feel a bit better.

Reply…

Oops… obviously can’t please everyone.

We can understand how ads can be irritating. I’ve been hearing a jingle on radio each morning from an IT support company and feel the same way, I’d never buy services from them – even if my email jammed and they were the last IT company standing.

In fairness, Pinnacle Life’s style of English is conversational and colloquial… it has a personality.  It’s not written as you would expect a technical report or legal document to be written, because then it would be cold and sterile.  But the language we use is technically very accurate and unambiguous. And we’ve eliminated the typical insurance jargon and legal-speak.  So non-lawyers and people in everyday jobs can understand what they’re buying, without the need for a financial adviser to hold their hand.

(See… who else would dare to start their sentences with ‘But’, ‘And’ and ‘So’.)

Additionally, our radio ads are designed to be somewhat provocative.

Still, we absolutely get what you’re saying and we’re thrilled you took the time to share your frustration.

There… now I feel better… that worked out quite good:-)

Carl… give it a go… take a look at http://www.pinnaclelife.co.nz, reflect on the incredible pricing, read through a sample policy document… and just maybe you’ll be converted…

Cheers
Ed