LifeSearch has joined forces with car insurance broker 1st Central in a collaborative ‘test and learn’ partnership to explore new ways of introducing life insurance protection to 1st Central’s customers.
Running initially for a period of 12 months, LifeSearch said the ‘test and learn’ partnership will offer life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection and private health insurance to 1st Central’s customers, in a “timely, intuitive and tailored” way.
It will aim to achieve this by employing LifeSearch tech-led products and customer service, along with the digital proposition 1st Central offers, to reframe the protection experience for customers.
Protection services will be offered to customers via the existing customer portal and targeted communications to raise awareness of the importance and value of these products.
Rose Howarth, head of partnerships at 1st Central, said: “We have transformed buying car insurance, making it a more accessible and effortless experience for customers.
“The relationship that this success has built with our customers means that we have a unique opportunity to tackle the wider UK protection gap.
“1st Central is pioneering a modern, technology led distribution model that will overcome traditional barriers to distribution between general insurance and protection firms.
“LifeSearch is the ideal partner for this ambitious challenge. Our shared values of delivering exceptional customer service and competitive price will allow us to apply our customer service expertise to extend the 1st Central experience to include protecting customers’ health, lifestyle and families.”
Ed Axon, chief growth officer at LifeSearch, added: “Our partnership with 1st Central will see us working with a business that has like-minded ambitions and a progressive and forward-thinking team that holds customer service at the core of its value proposition, whilst delivering the right product, at the right price.
“The partnership has the potential to be transformative for customers.
“The UK protection gap is worryingly large, and even those with other forms of insurance too often overlook the value of protection products.
“Working together we can help bring protection to a new audience. Our aspiration is to present protection simply, intuitively and targeted to the customer.”