Insurance can be complicated - but it doesn’t need to be.

It’s never been more important for insurers communications and engagement to be user friendly.

And, in a world of growing uncertainty, consumers are rightly demanding greater clarity and simplicity in the insurance products they rely on, and pay for, to protect the things that are important to them.

This sits at the heart of the Financial Markets Authority’s Conduct of Financial Institutions (CoFI) legislation, with its focus on ensuring consumers are treated fairly.

We can help to ensure your customer communications are easy to find and easy to understand so you’re ready for the CoFI legislative changes and beyond.

What we will do…

  • Starting with your FCP we will check that it is easy to understand and find across your channels. We will then assess all your customer facing communications and work with you to develop bespoke, plain language materials – from website and promotional copy through to policy documents and complaint processes.

  • We will help your teams understand your FCP and implement it in a way that will help a broad range of client needs. We will develop customer engagement and media toolkits that align with your FCP and mitigate reputational risks.

  • To ensure your communications stay up to date and relevant, we will help you to set up an assessment framework and review process so your communications are compliant into the future.

  • We will work with your teams to review your sales and marketing materials to ensure all customer facing activity is consistent and compliant with your FCP.

What is the CoFI Act?

In its simplest terms CoFI boils down to:

“Are your customers getting the financial products and services they need, when they need them, and do they do what the customer reasonably expects them to do?”

Samantha Barrass, Chief Executive of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA).

Why 128…

Leah McNeil is the Director of 128 Communications. Through her professional career Leah McNeil has honed her strategic communication and reputation management skills, with experience across public and private sector – working in fast paced agency environments and sole charge roles.

Leah has particular experience across insurance (life and general), economic, energy and tourism portfolios, and holds solid relationships with New Zealand media. 

She held senior roles at the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) and Cigna New Zealand (now Chubb Life), where she championed the voice of the consumer, helping to demystify insurance through education programmes, social media campaigns, and embed the use of plain-English across policy documents and consumer facing materials.

During her time at Cigna New Zealand she oversaw the review of all customer facing communications – from policy, renewal, engagement letters, and website material, achieving the WriteMark tick. She also provided strategic reputational advice during the Financial Markets Authority review of banks and life insurers in 2019 developing the conduct and culture communications framework.

As the Communications Manager at ICNZ she supported the general insurance sector to mitigate reputational risk during numerous severe weather events, was the sectors media spokesperson in the early days of Covid-19 and for a range of regulatory changes.