Brokerage Rebrand | Jones Insurance

In the evolving business landscape, adaptation is key to longevity.  

“After 4 decades, our brand was strong and recognizable and people originally from the Thunder Bay area knew who we were. Our jingle is also very catchy! But as we started making moves to expand we recognized that brand familiarity was not a sure thing for those newer to our community,” said Jeff.  

The genesis of this transformation was rooted in a simple realization: while the name Jones and Associates had been synonymous with insurance expertise for locals, it no longer encapsulated the breadth of their offerings or effectively communicated their identity to newer residents.  

“A few factors influenced the rebrand, or refresh as we call it, the ambiguity of ‘Jones and Associates’ no longer served our changing needs to accommodate the growth we are on track to experience.  So, after 40 years of building a strong reputation for service and professionalism, our founder Mike Jones—who started the company as a one-man-show—jokingly said, “We fired the associates” and focused solely on our expertise in insurance.” 

“Ultimately, our work in 2021–22 to produce our 60-page marketing strategy for 2023 underscored the importance of defining who we are today and who we’re working to become.” 

Defining the Vision

Central to their rebrand efforts was building on past success.  

“We focused on creating a corresponding visual identity that was modern but paid homage to our past—note the diagonal ‘e’ in our logo. To meet our ambitious growth targets, we knew our identity needed to capture our local essence and reflect our refined value proposition: people-first, meaningful service for uniquely Northern needs, lifestyle and business.” 

Jones Insurance endeavoured to capture the essence of Northwestern Ontario landscape in their brand colours and imagery.  

“Our new colours are the palette of our region—the unique blue of Lake Superior, the warm earth colour of our shorelines and the greens that engulf our boreal home. All our marketing material and digital content will soon have no stock photos, bearing only the images of the people and places of our city.” 

More than just a cosmetic overhaul, the rebranding of Jones Insurance was underpinned by a set of core values that remained steadfast throughout the process. “We stayed true to principles of community, expertise, innovation, partnership and authenticity—all existing values but underrepresented in our previous identity.” 

Charting the Course

This reinvention was a strategic alignment with Jones’s overarching business goals and vision. “We want to grow our business with our community, for our community. Our reestablished identity and community presence are a testament to this.” 

“Together with the Goods and Co. Market team, we designed the Jones Insurance Coworking Corner as a space for professionals, students and newcomers to create quality work, conceptualize new ideas and form lasting relationships that will shape the future of the local business. The ethos of Goods and Co. collective is parallel to ours in our mission to support local entrepreneurs, and we’re proud to plant our flag among community partners.” 

Communicating Change

The rebrand unfolded with social media teasers to a grand unveiling at the newly minted Jones Insurance Coworking Corner within the Goods and Co. Market. “We enlisted the help of our PR clients and friends to aid in the more traditional process of a formal press release and media launch when our new look went live, and for our 40th anniversary event.” 

“To market our new brand, we launched Behind the Business videos at the beginning of 2024. We worked with an incredible local production company to produce a series of commercials that spotlight several Thunder Bay businesses and their relationship to Jones Insurance.” 

“In February, we held a signature event to launch our brand and celebrate our 40th anniversary. With staff, family, clients and friends, we unveiled our 40th anniversary commercial and limited edition vintage poster logo, created by a client and respected digital artist.” 

“Investing in our brand and timing the launch was crucial for our success this year. While the competitive landscape didn’t directly influence our decisions, we capitalized on the learnings and takeaways from friends in our broker network who recently underwent a similar process. We also took our time to ensure we could be extra thoughtful at each stage.”