Virtual Insurance

clipped from www.insurancetech.com Breaking New Ground Unitrin Direct heads into uncharted territory by establishing a virtual presence in Second Life to court Web-savvy consumers. Seeking a new way to reach Internet-savvy consumers, Unitrin Direct, a subsidiary of Unitrin ($9 billion in assets), has established a presence in Second Life, the online virtual world that has been growing in popularity since mid-2006. The move makes the carrier the first auto insurance company to own a building in the Second Life realm, according to Unitrin Direct. "It is a way to tap into where the insurance market is growing," adds Tom Mercer, VP of marketing at Unitrin Direct. "Young people leave home or leave college and buy insurance for the first time -- this is an opportunity to reach those customers in the sorts of avenues they're using." By Nathan Conz