ICW Group Enhances Corporate Strategy to Further Drive Agent/Broker Success

ICW Group Insurance Companies, a top super regional carrier providingworkers' compensation, surety, earthquake and personal and business autoinsurance, has launched a new enterprise-wide business initiative moresingularly focused on helping its Agent and Broker customers strengthentheir all important client relationships. ICW Group's strategy wasdeveloped collaboratively, encompassing feedback from its Agents andBrokers on what they look for from an insurance carrier and what's mostimportant to their success. The carrier has 3,800 Agents and Brokersacross all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Helping Agents and Brokers continue to be valued as "Trusted Advisors"by their clients consistently emerged as a high level success driverthroughout ICW Group's extensive research. As part of the new customerdriven strategy the carrier will revise current and offer new programs,tools and resources designed to help its Agents better serve theirclients, and build long-term, successful relationships.

"After engaging and truly listening to our Agent and Broker customers,we now very clearly understand the core drivers to our customer'ssuccess and more important, the value of seeing the business from theirperspective," stated David Hoppen, senior vice president and chiefoperating officer at ICW Group. "It was clear from our roundtablediscussions across multiple lines of business that by empowering ourcustomers to win with their clients, we will engender an increased levelof commitment and loyalty from them."

A key part of this new strategy and in conjunction with new and improvedservice offerings, the company has launched a new branding programsupported by an updated visual identity and comprehensive marketingcampaign. Key components of this effort include a new corporate websiteand companion microsite, a corporate brand video, on and offlineadvertising, sales collateral and a new event marketing package. "Whilewe are very focused on delivering tangible value in support of our newapproach, we also felt it was important to reinforce this new directionwith a contemporized identity and a complete communications program,"states Tony Sciolla, vice president of enterprise marketing. Our newcompany tagline, "We See The Business of Insurance Through Your Eyes,"anchors the core communication campaign, and reinforces our focus ondelivering what's important to our customers for their clients. Our newmicrosite (www.seehowweseeit.com)speaks to the journey that led us to this initiative and how as anorganization we plan on achieving it.

The new strategy and corporate brand repositioning is the latestmilestone in a series of transformative changes over the last severalyears that have improved ICW Group's operating performance. Recentachievements include:

Implementing SAP® Software to improve operational efficiencies andcustomer service.

Launching the SnapSM Agency Portal, an online underwritingtool which streamlines the submission process for Workers'Compensation Agents and Brokers.

Enhancing Snap with new features, such as Snap Instant Quote (Snap IQ)for Small Workers' Comp business enabling straight-through processing.

Implementing a free on-line risk management service called RMRx SafetyAdvisor.

Expansion of its Workers' Compensation business into Illinois.

Over the next several months, ICW Group will be developing a series ofupdated service and program offerings in support of the carrier's newcustomer focused business strategy.

About ICW Group

Privately held ICW Group represents a group of multi-line property andcasualty insurance carriers providing workers' compensation, surety,earthquake and personal and business auto insurance. Its membercompanies consist of Insurance Company of the West, Explorer InsuranceCompany and Independence Casualty and Surety. Based in San Diego, ICWGroup continues to transform itself into an insurance industry leaderdedicated to meeting the needs of its Agents and the people andcompanies they insure. More information is available at www.icwgroup.com.