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DIRECT Pojišťovna has already acquired over 17,000 motorists
DIRECT Pojišťovna, a.s., which entered the Czech market in mid-May 2007, had a total of 10,112 underwritten policies as of 31/12/2007. Today this number already stands at over 17,000. The value of GWP for 2007 was CZK 26,456,354 (according to Czech Accounting Standards). DIRECT Pojišťovna has thus confirmed that the direct insurance sales model can also look forward to a successful future in the Czech Republic.
27 March 2008Prague
This year it wants five times more policies than last year
Zdenka Pelikánová, CEO of DIRECT Pojišťovna, has commented on the successful year as follows: “Our results unequivocally demonstrate the potential of direct sales in the Czech Republic. In today’s fast-paced world, people want to save time and so arrange their insurance over the Internet or by telephone in greater and greater numbers. Apart from time, they are also saving money thanks to the fact that no brokerage commission is included in the price of the insurance or the costs inherent in a branch network. In Great Britain over 50% of all vehicle insurance is sold via direct sales channels today. The developments in the Czech Republic are confirming this trend. This year we are expecting five times more new policies compared to last year.”
The results to date for DIRECT Pojišťovna are a demonstration of the changing approach of Czech drivers towards vehicle insurance. This is also confirmed by surveys carried out by the STEM/MARK agency, showing that every second Czech motorist would use direct sales channels (i.e. arranging insurance by telephone or over the Internet) to arrange a new policy. In addition, today interest in insurance over the Internet does not depend on age or sex to a great extent. For example, every third motorist aged between 51 and 60 would prefer this method for arranging insurance.
“Over 70% of motorists are active Internet users and over 10% of drivers currently use direct sales channels,” adds Zdenka Pelikánová.
DIRECT Pojišťovna is looking to take full advantage of the changing attitude of Czech motorists. Every second driver in this country already knows the company thanks to its inspired advertising campaign (source: STEM/MARK, DIRECT Awareness Tracking, February 2008). However, DIRECT Pojišťovna’s ambitious plans in no way stop at motorists alone.
“The Czech market has great potential, and we intend to use it. Motor vehicle insurance is only the start – in the future we will also be offering other insurance products suitable for the direct sales model. We want to be number one on the Czech direct insurance market,” says Zdenka Pelikánová, outlining the company’s long-term vision.
DIRECT Pojišťovna in figures (data as of 31/12/2007):
GWP (according to Czech Accounting Standards):
CZK 26,456,354
Number of underwritten policies:
10,112
Number of employees:
144 (after conversion to full-time equivalent)
For more information contact:
Tomáš Zavoral, Press Spokesperson, tel.: 225 290 213, 724 660 626, tomas.zavoral@direct.cz
DIRECT Pojišťovna, a.s. is an insurer with an international ownership structure specialising in the direct insurance sales model (i.e., insurance by telephone and over the Internet). It obtained its licence for the Czech Republic from the Czech National Bank in the spring of 2007. In May 2007 it began offering Motor Third Party Liability on the Czech market, and in August 2007 expanded its range to include CASCO. In the coming years it will begin offering other types of non-life insurance.
The sole shareholder of DIRECT Pojišťovna, a.s. is the company Intouch Insurance Group B.V., which in turn is 50% owned by the Israeli D.I.F.I. (Direct Insurance Financial Investments) group and 50% by the British RSA (RSA Insurance Group).
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