You have given Zurich a strong customer-centric approach – focusing on understanding the customer rather than just policies and products. How challenging was it to take employees along on this journey?

It has been, and still is, a long journey. When we launched the Customer Office six years ago, I already had a vision of how we could implement this transformation together with our over 60,000 employees. From the beginning, it was crucial to involve and motivate them.

How did you approach this transformation?

We began by rethinking our brand identity and redefining what it should stand for. We also redesigned our visual identity to make our brand more relevant for today’s customers. We asked ourselves: What does it mean to be an insurance company today? How can we be more modern and relevant to our customers?

A new way of engaging with customers can’t just be introduced at the push of a button. How did you go about it?

In the past, we were technically very precise but often too formal and distant in our interactions with customers. That’s why we introduced our «Tone of Voice» program to change the way we communicate.

«Our brand value increased by 35 percent.»

We launched two major initiatives. First, empathy training for customer service employees – instead of immediately asking for a policy number, employees are trained to first ask how they can help. Some customers appreciate personal advice, while others prefer quick digital solutions.

To improve this understanding, we conducted scenario-based training with actors. Second, we are simplifying all written communication, revising documents and letters to make them clearer, easier to understand, and free from unnecessary jargon. By the end of this year, we expect to have simplified 60% of our written communications.

How did you succeed in increasing brand popularity? And what role does color design play in this process?

Our research showed that our brand was perceived as quite distant and cold. This was partly due to our design, which was predominantly white and blue, and the rather static visual style. Today’s world is dynamic – people are used to seeing animated and engaging content on social media. To adapt, we decided to use more real-life imagery and expand our color palette. Customers responded positively, and our brand value increased by 35 percent.

Zurich’s social media presence has changed significantly in recent years. What triggered this shift, and what results have you seen?

Traditional advertising – such as TV commercials – no longer has the same impact. That’s why we shifted our strategy toward digital engagement. Instead of simply broadcasting corporate messages, we started focusing on topics that are truly relevant to our customers.

«On TikTok our follower numbers have grown eightfold since 2023.»

And the results have been impressive?

Yes. Instagram followers have increased by 185 percent since 2021, impressions have grown tenfold, and the engagement rate has increased 22 times. We have also been particularly successful on TikTok, as we were early adopters of the format. Our follower numbers have grown eightfold since 2023.

That also has to do with Generation Z. How do you appeal to younger audiences?

Gen Z no longer follows traditional life paths like previous generations. They study, travel, and move more frequently, which changes their insurance needs. We focus on short, engaging, and entertaining content – especially on TikTok. For example, in Germany, we conducted street interviews asking young people what they think about insurance. These short eight-second clips performed extremely well and often sparked further interest.

The number of different apps can be confusing – how do you address this? And Zurich waited a long time to launch its own app. Was that too long?

Yes, we were not the first to launch an app, but this has actually turned into an advantage. Our new Zurich One app offers a modern user experience and receives excellent ratings in app stores. Customer engagement in the app is twice as high as on the website. Our goal is to connect different apps, allowing customers to seamlessly switch between them.

Zurich wants to be seen as more approachable and not just as a provider of security. How do you achieve this?

It’s all about storytelling. If we present insurance only as protection against risks, it’s not very engaging. That’s why we position ourselves as partners to our customers – not just in the event of a claim, but also preventatively. For example, in Italy, customers receive weather alerts via SMS before an expected hailstorm so they can move their car to safety.

Everything revolves around customer satisfaction, but ultimately, this is a hard business. How do you balance both aspects?

We pay out a very large sum in claims. Globally, we paid out 27.9 billion dollars in claims last year. Our strategy focuses on building customer loyalty rather than just acquiring new customers. A satisfied customer not only stays with us longer but also expands their insurance coverage over time.

You said that becoming more customer-focused is not a «softy-softy» business. What do you mean by that?

Some companies see marketing as just a cost and think they can simply cut it when finances are tight. But this is a big mistake. Marketing is a key driver of business success. Until now, we often just measured the number of new customers. In our last three-year cycle, we gained nine million new retail customers.

«Our goal is to be industry leaders in customer focus within three years.»

However, this number alone doesn’t tell us much. That’s why we introduced the Net Revenue Retention (NRR) metric. It shows how much revenue we retain or increase by better serving existing customers' needs. This proves that customer focus is not just a «soft» topic, but a crucial factor for financial success.

A satisfied customer stays longer, buys more products, and recommends us to others – directly impacting our financial results.

What’s next for Zurich over the next three years?

We have four strategic priorities for our next three-year cycle. First, life insurance, where we want to expand the Life Protection business. Second, the SME segment, where we are improving services for small and medium-sized businesses. Third, we are focusing more on mid-market corporate customers. And fourth, we are investing in apps and digitalization, aiming to integrate all digital services into one ecosystem.

Our goal is to be industry leaders in customer focus within three years.

To achieve this, we will continue to invest in more human-centered and digital customer communication.