Strategic Focus:
Strategic Focus:
Develop Brand Story and Digital Platforms as a Growth Catalyst
Client
Situation & Ask
Client Situation & Ask
In 2014 the owners of Excalibur Insurance were looking to move away from the ‘commodity mind trap’ of selling policies – and live a story that would resonate in the minds of people living in Southern Ontario.
Partnership
Integrate the power of story, community building and the digital user experience as a means to outperform industry leading brokerages and large direct online Canadian insurers.
Clarity &
Opportunity
Clarity & Opportunity
After some homework, team discovery, multiple conversations and too many examples to count – we had the proof we need to appreciate that the Excalibur experience was anchored in the DNA of ‘going above and beyond to help people’ – and focused on:
1
Excalibur’s story development;
2
Elevating the Company’s digital presence;
3
Making life easier for insurance customers;
4
and Recognizing and developing community leaders.
Big Picture Strategy
& Actions
01
We Clarified Excalibur’s North Star
While most of the 30 people on the Excalibur team said their purpose was to sell insurance – we pushed back (based upon what we had learned) and from our perspective it was clear that Excalibur Insurance existed to champion people. From that moment the team’s mindset and purpose shifted with an acknowledgment that – what got them out of bed in the morning was helping people in need – teammates, community organizations, youth and their customers.
02
We created a story-based character
As an extension of the Excalibur Insurance experience, we created ‘The Good Knight’, a character fully invested in finding a better way forward, inspiring action, and creating smiles. She represents a true reflection the Excalibur team – leading and serving without expecting anything in return.
03
We Elevated the Online Insurance Experience
As partners we invested heavily in developing a content rich story-based website that competed with, and in several cases out performed, larger direct insurers.
04
Go the Extra to Make Insurance Easy
We collaborated to create an online ‘Rate Reducer’, an annual ‘Protection Checkup’ and numerous self-serve options for insurance customers.
05
Develop an Excalibur Own Youth-Based Program
We helped develop the ‘Read to Ride Program’ – an Ontario school based initiative to instill a love of reading in children as a means to help shape the next generation of leaders. We also contributed to Excalibur’s children’s book called ‘Artie the Good knight’
06
Service Opportunities for Team Members
We developed the ‘Defender Difference Program’ that provides paid time off for team members to support a charity of interest.
07
Support and Recognize Community Heroes
Together we created the ‘Defender of Honour Program’ in partnership with the London Knights of the OHL – to recognize the commitment of Canada’s service men and women, including those who make up our community of first responders and frontline workers.
Growth, Results
& Insights
1
From 2019-2025, Excalibur’s CEO (Jeff Roy) is recognized as one of the most sought after speakers in North America within the insurance broker/agent industry to share leadership insight into Excalibur’s brand journey.
2
In 2023, the Company increased its web traffic from 35,079 visitors to 57,454 visitors – a 63% increase. Excalibur primarily achieved this growth through improved website architecture, increased blog creation, industry leading website load times, and link building.
3
In a comparison of approximately 1,200 insurers across Canada, Trufla Technology assigned Excalibur with a “Digital Reach Score” in the top 1% of the industry for search engine optimization, digital advertising and lead management process. Competitors also in the 1% were direct insurance companies like AVIVA, TD, Sonnet, Zen, Insurance Hotline and Desjardins.
4
Through its website and digital strategy, Excalibur increased leads from 11,000 in 2022 – to 16,000 leads in 2023, without increasing its investment in lead generation.
5
In 2024 Excalibur Insurance was purchased by McDougall Insurance Brokers Limited, in part due to their shared values. In a rare move, the new owners determined that the company’s brand value and digital presence warranted continuing operations as Excalibur Insurance.
