• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

Move over, Doug, LiMu Emu and that guy who can’t remember his lines. Liberty Mutual is expanding the company’s character universe for the first time in eight years, introducing Liberty Biberty, a disembodied muppet-esque charmer determined to sell you car insurance.

Jenna Lebel, Liberty Mutual CMO, U.S. Retail Markets, thinks the best way to do that is with a new branded character. “Insurance is a unique category,” she tells Marketing Daily. “People only buy it because they have to, not because they like it. And once they own it, it’s low-touch -- people don’t interact with their insurance brand very often,” she says. In fact, they hope they never have to use it, she adds. “Consumers are only shopping a few carriers, so you really need to be top of mind and drive that unaided brand awareness. The best way to do that is through brand cues.”

The birth of the mascot, cooked up by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, is the next iteration of the “Liberty Biberty” malapropism that has been part of the Boston-based company’s schtick since 2019.

Bandits & Friends, the company’s creative agency, is behind the new campaign, which is rolling out on TV, streaming, social and creator partnerships, “as we look to round out the universe for our brand and drive unaided brand awareness.”

Liberty Mutual is hardly the only carrier with an expanding cast of characters. Allstate, Progressive, Geico and other leading brands also feature flavors of marketing. Laughter is the category’s best tool for breaking through, Lebel said, “and humor is very subjective. Different characters, different storylines, different universes, different emotional territories, different messaging – all of that allows us to reach different audience segments.”

With this campaign, Liberty Biberty is aiming for value shoppers, “looking for good coverage at an affordable price, regardless of the channel they're shopping in.”

Knowing when to let go of a particular storyline is part of the challenge, too. Last week, rival Farmers Insurance ended a long-running campaign with actor J.K. Simmons. “'Wear out’ is something we’re constantly monitoring, as is likeability. Doug and LiMu are still working very hard for us,” says Lebel.

The challenge, she says, is making sure that each is “unmistakably Liberty Mutual.”

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Liberty Mutual is the 6th largest insurer overall, with a 3.82% share. State Farm, Progressive, Berkshire Hathaway, which owns Geico, Allstate and Travelers all rank higher. Liberty does slightly better -- No. 4 -- in the homeowners category, and somewhat worse, No. 7, in auto.

While Lebel declined to give specifics, she said the company is increasing marketing spending to the company’s highest levels yet. “We want to build the Liberty brand, and we’re being very intentional, on both the creative and media side, to follow consumers.” That includes more spending on streaming and social.

The goals, besides selling more policies? Within six months, she expects Liberty Biberty to be established in the marketplace, and even work his way into pop culture, “in ways that increase unaided awareness, drive more leads into the funnel, and ultimately grow market share.”