You know what, you think you have a great relationship with the Insurance press.

You make yourself available, you put forward spokespeople, you brief them in advance on big initiatives, strategic “journeys”(!) and you very very occasionally give them an ‘off the record’ snippet/comment. and then you agree to do a running commentary on the biggest financial services rebrand ever in the UK – and you do it in a ‘bloggish’ style to try something new.

Then your blog gets “most read feature” (thanks to the fans out there…all 4 of you) and then you wake up and see an imposing black and white photo of your CEO with a ’snippy’ headline.

Inside, when you read the article it looks as though Ellen and Igal didn’t hit it off.

She starts off with ‘He looks bored’. He’d probably been in a 1 to 1 with me and I’d been chattering away as usual!

But Igal is never bored. His mind is so fast it “whir’s”.

You’d think wouldn’t you, with my blog etc there’d be a bit of “you scratch my back etc”.

You then see a letter on page 19 from NU regarding ‘loaves of bread and NU’’.

Then I receive a torrent of emails on:

1) Why didn’t Ellen and Igal get on?

2) What’s this about commission disclosure (the letter isn’t an official stance, but it makes you think, always a good thing)?

3) It triggers a flurry of emails regarding change / our direct business and free contents /commission – you name it.

Well what triggers the flurry of emails? Your guess is as good as mine.

What it shows though is that:

1) People have seen the name change advertising

2) NU/Aviva provokes (rightly or wrongly) emotions (that’s a really good thing!)

3) Sometimes we get it wrong and the communication to key brokers about Direct Home is missing and there is an explanation (trust me!!) and it does not mean that brokers are not the most important channel.

4) Insurance Times & NU/Aviva have a good healthy relationship and there is no such thing as “you scratch mine, I’ll scratch yours” going on. And neither should there be.

So, three weeks in and my resolve to ignore emails and send less is in tatters.

My resolve to get Aviva talked about is sort of happening and the Insurance Times new format… with extra bite…? well everyone is talking about it.

And when I meet Ellen I’ll smile (not obediently) look excited about the name change plus anything else she wants and I’ll talk until the cows come home!