Linda Dolan, President, Insurance Brokers Association of Canada
2023 marks the 35th anniversary of the Bipper, IBAC’s iconic logo, and that’s something to celebrate!
When I travel across the country as IBAC’s President, I’m always proud to notice the brokerage offices that display the magenta logo on their storefront signage. These brokers obviously value this time-honoured symbol and what it represents.
In 1986, Canada’s Minister of State for Finance, Barbara MacDougall tabled a White Paper in the House of Commons announcing that the government was about to allow banks to sell insurance. Brokers from across the country knew that they had to mobilize and fight back. Letting banks sell insurance at the point of granting credit would erode Canada’s competitive insurance marketplace, harming consumers and putting all Canadian insurance brokers in jeopardy.
IBAC met with Minister MacDougall in Ottawa, where it became very apparent that politicians did not know what P&C insurance brokers did and often mistook them for life insurance agents. IBAC decided to create a national image-building campaign to educate politicians and consumers on the important role of the insurance broker. The mission statement of the campaign was to promote the value of the insurance broker distribution system to consumers, insurers and governments.
In 1988, the Broker Identity Program (BIP) was introduced, featuring the Bipper logo. A national advertising campaign aimed to raise the profile of the profession, and the IBAC lapel pin became a visible symbol that unified insurance brokers across Canada, and continues to do so today.
The original Bipper depicts a “human being wrapped in a symbolic blanket indicative of comfort, care, security and warmth.” The magenta color was chosen to make sure it stood out. Successive brand awareness studies showed that the impact of the BIP campaign grew steadily over the years, and our brand has become well recognized by politicians, consumers, insurance stakeholders and community leaders as a symbol of trust and integrity. The branding is particularly powerful in supporting IBAC’s federal advocacy. Each year brokers go to Ottawa for our annual Hill Day in a wave of magenta that is well recognized and respected by Parliamentarians who welcome broker constituents from their local communities.
In 2018, the 30th anniversary of the Bipper, IBAC updated the logo to what it is today, simplifying and modernizing the design for today’s digital environment and refreshing the brand to keep it top of mind. The national BIP advertising strategy continues to elevate and promote the broker profession across Canada.
Our newest campaign with TV and digital ads is based on the idea that nothing works without insurance, and insurance works best with an insurance broker. You need insurance for almost everything – driving to the store, owning a home, opening a business, traveling – all the daily things that we might take for granted. And insurance works best when you have a broker providing choice, advice and advocacy.
With the support of all brokers across Canada united under the Bipper logo, we are a force to be reckoned with as we continue to strengthen and protect the broker channel and advocate for insurance brokers and consumers. For myself, I am grateful for this powerful symbol of our profession, and I encourage all brokers to carry the torch to ensure it remains strong for years to come.