Phil Zeidler, managing director, Junction
Zeidler was concerned about the "enormous gap" between "what we do in the market and how we treat the customer".
He warned brokers that aggregators' share of the market had soared to 15% in a "very short space of time" by "providing the customer with control: the customer enters their details, sees what they want and decides where they go."
And there are already online providers, such as MySpace and YouTube that have set up communities and social networks. They "offer a concierge service" and essentially "go full circle".
But Zeidler emphasised that "new technology needs to be interchangeable with traditional contact media such as the internet and phone."
Focusing on personal lines, Zeidler zeroed in on customer choice and brand value as significant factors. Junction provides Marks & Spencer's with insurance via an affinity deal and, despite its higher cost than competitors' offerings, "it takes 18% of the sector", according to Zeidler.
He added: "A large number of people do not buy simply on price, but on brand, proposition and a whole range of factors."
Zeidler concluded the world has moved on since Henry T Ford coined his motto: "Any colour you like, as long as it is black".
He said: "The truth is that we have to be multi coloured, multi sized and multi engined."
