Teamwork pays off for Super League sponsor engage

PARTNERSHIPS with Yorkshire Bank and the Co-operative has helped Yorkshire-based engage Mutual deliver a strong half year performance.

The mutual recorded 18,000 new policies in the first six months of this year – which represents 16,500 new customers.

The group, headed by chief executive Andrew Haigh, pointed to its partnership approach as a driver for the growth, including working with Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank for marketing over 50s life insurance and a tax exempt savings plan called Vision, and working with Co-operative Funeralcare, engage now offers a funeral funding option as a free addition to its over 50s life insurance.

The Harrogate-based group, which has just seen its sponsorship of the engage Super League culminate in the rugby league Grand Final won by Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford, said that it had successfully established marketing partnerships with engage Super League clubs to introduce health cash plans for fans which are marketed as part of a healthy lifestyle campaign which is supported by top player ambassadors.

engage, formerly known as Homeowners Friendly Society, said that sales of over 50s life insurance and child trust fund products helped its half year growth and it had paid out more than £24m to customers in claims and maturities.

The organisation said that tight control on costs had seen campaign expenditure reduce by 55% for the first six months but despite that more than £17m in life fund premiums had been received since the start of the year.

Mr Haigh said: “We are pleased that the measures taken to respond to such difficult trading conditions experienced over the past year have delivered such a robust performance.  As a mutual we exist for the benefit of our customers, so good news for us is good news for them.”