Thought leadership campaign positions CEO as go-to expert on flood insurance

Craig Poulton, CEO of Utah-based insurance company Poulton Associates, has become extremely well versed in everything there is to know about flood insurance—and he wants to see change. His efforts to raise awareness of the issues have won first place in the “Thought Leadership Campaign” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Media Relations Awards.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Poulton argues, is flawed, in debt and operates as a monopoly, leading mortgage lenders to give the program preferential treatment and making it hard for private programs—like Poulton’s Natural Catastrophe Insurance Program (NCIP)—to operate on an even playing field despite offering more comprehensive products at better rates.

Poulton contracted Kimball Hughes PR to help create greater awareness of the issue and promote the benefits of private versus federal flood insurance. Kimball Hughes PR opted to focus on Poulton himself and his vast knowledge of the issue. The team conducted extensive interviews with Poulton to identify specific themes they could pitch to different news outlets, starting with insurance trade publications, then extending to op-eds in publications D.C. lawmakers and their staffs read.

Poulton, as a result, has become a primary resource for journalists seeking input for articles, news segments, conference panels and even a Twitter Chat. The agency also executed a broader flood insurance awareness campaign, with Poulton’s articles boosting interest.

The coverage has assisted in securing Poulton meetings with key Congressional leaders, while Congress continues to mull a more permanent reauthorization of the NFIP that hopefully includes these reforms.

The campaign also secured coverage in multiple publications—including the front page of The New York Times—with social media users sharing these articles more than 11,000 times.

Congratulations to the Kimball Hughes PR team of Eileen Coyne, Samantha Kimball, Ryan Stephen, Rod Hughes and Gary Kimball.