The 'Promise kept' Story

If there’s one thing I have learnt over the years, it’s that you cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results. It’s like repeatedly checking your account balance over and over again, hoping it will miraculously change without any extra income coming – a situation some people will face in January after a thoroughly ‘dettied’ December, lol.

This is not fiction. It is the story of a marketing campaign that was more than just advertising. It is proof of what can happen when you take a step back, rethink your process, and dare to approach things differently.

Reporting Claims Campaign at Leadway Assurance – the insurance arm of the Leadway Group is a statutory one; a box to tick to ensure that regulatory requirements are met and customers are properly briefed too. Somewhat similar to how some brands post obligatory content for International Women’s Day (even when they do not particularly champion women focused initiatives or programmes), because it feels like the “right” thing to do. It was routine, expected, and safe. However, the slight difference is that we are committed to what we do, and the crux of this is to be a risk bearer and an enabler. So, it was time to do things differently and tell a story so well, it goes beyond just obligations and more about why we do what we do.

We saw an opportunity to transform what seems like an industry obligation into something relatable – a real story of impact and human experience. We were telling a story that mattered and how people could see ‘insurance’ from a different lens. We wanted to challenge the scepticism surrounding the insurance industry in Nigeria and remind everyone — our customers, employees, and stakeholders — that we keep our promises and that we, indeed, are promise keepers.

Insurance in Nigeria has long been filled with doubt. Many people see it as a gamble: you pay for it and pray you never need it, but you worry the insurance company won’t show up when you do. It’s a perception that keeps people from realising just how much insurance can protect their families, businesses, and future. At Leadway Assurance, we have worked hard to nullify this perception. Trust, transparency, and reliability are the core of who we are, and over the past eight years, we have paid over ?330 billion in claims (yes, you read that right – over ?330 billion paid in claims in just the past 8 years).

?330 billion is no small feat; in fact, it’s the highest in the industry. However, we quickly realised that as impressive as numbers may be, they don’t always tell the full story. So, we decided to brag about this statistic yet reflect on the lives impacted, businesses rebuilt, and hope restored.

So, we asked ourselves: what is the ripple effect of these payments in the lives of our customers? It’s the market woman who lost her livelihood in a fire but was able to rebuild. It’s the civil servant who relies on his insured car not just for his daily commute but as a lifeline to support his family. It’s the entrepreneur who faced a devastating setback after years of building her business and rose again because of the safety net that insurance provides. These stories are real, powerful, and are worth telling.

We decided to make this year’s campaign about the human stories behind the numbers. Earlier this year, I wrote about the power of storytelling —how a well-told story can evoke emotions and inspire action. That belief guided how we approached this campaign.

Of course, meaningful storytelling doesn’t happen overnight. It takes intention, collaboration, and a clear vision. From the beginning, we provided a clear brief to our Agency partners, centred on the theme of “keeping promises.” As a brand manager, I firmly believe that great campaigns don’t happen when you leave all the work to the Agency. Collaboration is key, so we worked hand in hand with the Agency.

The journey wasn’t a straight line. There were times we felt we were close, but something was still missing. We went back to the drawing board — again and again — refining the story and reworking the details until we landed on a big idea that captured the heart of the campaign: Promise Kept. It was a statement of who we are. While our agency partners played a pivotal role in shaping the campaign, the collaborative effort between them, our internal team, and even unexpected partners made it truly special.

Permit me to digress a bit. Most often, as a brand manager, you need to look at the resources you have at hand and harness them to bring the best out of whatever project you are working on. These resources could be that professional you bonded with over some commonalities or that young, vibrant, and skilled mind you connected with at an event, visibly developing herself/himself in a particular area of creative work or past works/projects that remain timeless. It could be the missing link to creating many beautiful stories.

We now had the story, but having a great story wasn’t enough. We needed to ensure it reached the right audience at the right time through the right channels. This required an integrated marketing communication approach. We wanted “Promise Kept” to resonate with everybody across all touchpoints — digital platforms, press, billboards, paid media, TV, and PR.

To start the campaign, our Executive Director, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Amanwa, had gone to whet the ground. She went on Arise TV (a prime channel, at a prime-time slot) to speak about the brand, Leadway Assurance, the role we have played over the years as a leading insurer, what we are currently doing, and what the future holds. The feedback from this was overwhelmingly positive, which set the tone for the rest of the campaign. About two weeks later, we launched our campaign video, which encapsulated the very essence of “Promise Kept.”

We didn’t stop at external communications. Our internal stakeholders are some of the most important brand advocates/ambassadors, and we ensured they were as engaged as our customers. Everyone had to be a part of the story, from top management to other employees, including our sales reps across our various branches.

From bold t-shirts proclaiming “Call us talk and do; ?330 Billion Paid in Claims” worn by our sales team to internal branding across strategic physical touchpoints in the organisation to a series of internal communications, the Promise Kept campaign was one to pay attention to.

Another critical aspect was our meticulous timing. We didn’t want the campaign to clash with other brand activities, so we carefully planned when to go heavy, pause, and re-engage. We were intentional about maintaining momentum without overwhelming our audience.

Looking back, this campaign reminds me of why I love what I do: creating impact. We had this in the works since the beginning of the year, but it wasn’t executed until August. It was a purposeful campaign about changing perceptions, telling meaningful stories, and creating something that resonates.

Reflecting on this journey, the endless iterations to the final execution, I am reminded that good things take time. But when they come together, they are worth every bit of effort.

“Promise Kept” is a testament to what Leadway stands for and is one of those campaigns that will always hold a special place in my heart.

If you read to this point, you deserve to see the beautiful story told. Watch the video here, and take one final stab here to get insured and stay covered (I promise I'm not trying to sell, but I hope I've been able to sell a real story to you, lol).

See you in 2025, cheers!