National Public Finance Guaranty, one of the country’s largest bond insurers, needed to demonstrate the value of insured bonds to an increasingly skeptical marketplace. Spun off from MBIA, National wanted to quickly establish an identity of its own and communicate a sense of strength and stability.
In a low-interest-rate environment, issuers and their advisors needed to be educated on the potential of bond insurance to reduce their costs and strengthen their offering. Investment bankers wanted reassurance that the advantages of insurance compensated for the time involved in managing the underwriting process. Financial advisors were the optimal channel for reaching retail investors, a group largely unaware of the role of bond insurance in reducing credit risk.
National’s value proposition was captured in a short, memorable statement – Stronger Bond – that alludes both to the company’s financial wherewithal and the deep relationships between its people and their clients. Messaging tailored this brand idea to all of the company’s important audiences, showing how “adding National” enhances the value and safety of an issue. This concept was deployed in a visual execution based on distinctive illustrations, commissioned from a prominent artist, that set the company apart from competitors that rely on stock photography.
