IBM's Lynn Kesterson-Townes says the nature and activity of today's insurance prospects and customers are changing rapidly, leaving some insurers with less-effective approaches to marketing and communicating.

Insurers serving the entertainment industry find their efforts work best when they adopt many of the same tactics as their audience: informative presentations and high-impact materials backed by an energetic approach. Broker LeConte ("Count") Moore is managing director of DeWitt Stern's entertainment and media division. Moore is a featured speaker at this year's Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for Thurs., Oct. 30 in Jersey City, N.J.

John Greene shares WRIN.tv’s growth and experience in video production and underscores the central role video is playing in the insurance marketing tool kit.

Jeff Hughes of Assurant Solutions and Andy Meng of Merkle discuss how insurers are finding new ways to meld in-house, third-party and social information to better identify prospective customers and shape their marketing messages.

The vice president of marketing for Sun Life Financial U.S. Ed Milano talks about the many ways the company reaches out to brokers and consumers including a partnership with the National Basketball Association.

New Jersey Manufacturers' John Hardiman examines the role social media plays in connecting with policyholders, especially during catastrophic events like Hurricane Sandy.

Chip Bacciocco, CEO of Project CAP, talks about the launch of the new TrustedChoice.com website that allows consumers to research insurance topics and get real-time quotes from multiple carriers, along with the need for digital marketing by independent agents.

Tom Morgan and Marc McFarland of Adams & Knight discuss reaching younger consumers where they live and pay attention with a message about disability that resonates.

Leilani Brown, chief marketing officer for Starr Cos, will speak at the 2012 A.M. Best Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit about how her company is creating focused, effective messaging and spreading its wings globally.

Joanna McNamara of Chubb Personal Insurance and Andy Meng of Merkle explain how they help launched a new program to better identify prospects and help agents acquire customers for personal lines business in the latest edition of The Insurance Marketing Podcast. Both are featured speakers at Best’s Review magazine’s Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit, set for November 7 in Jersey City, N.J.