There will be a good bit of turnover in our Louisiana Legislature, and we need to take advantage of this time to make sure we elect industry-friendly candidates. We need to hear from you! You know the candidates best in your local races, so please send us an email to jody@piaoflouisiana.com. If you're able to attend the fundraiser for your chosen candidate, that's even better! Candidate inquiries, either statewide or by parish, can be performed here on the Louisiana Secretary of State website. The Louisiana Secretary of State website is easy to use and voters can find a wealth of information there including general information on elections and voting, sample ballots and election day information. You can also get registered to vote, learn about redistricting, sign up for election alerts and even get involved!

Mike Becker, CEO and Executive Vice President of PIA National, shares his perspectives on the full range of issues, challenges and opportunities facing independent insurance agents in a free-wheeling edition of the Connected Insurance Podcast by Agency Revolution, with host Michael Jans. Mike talks about how agents can keep up with the dizzying pace of change, the shift of power to the consumer and what it means for agents, and the changing role of the agency principal. Listen to the Connected Insurance Podcast with guest PIA CEO Mike Becker here.

PIA National announced a partnership with ONE Brand that provides PIA members with a portal that contains marketing materials to use with direct mail and digital advertising services. The PIA DMV: PIA's Direct Marketing Vault is provided to independent agents as part of the PIA Branding Program (www.piabrandingprogram).

Through the PIA DMV, PIA members can market their businesses using customizable PIA-branded postcard templates that can be mailed utilizing the United States Postal Service's (USPS) Every Door Direct Mail program or Targeted Direct Mail. Customers have the option to create and distribute a digital suite of ads based on the postcards with their orders.

The Every Door Direct Mail program (EDDM), created by the United States Postal Service, provides a cost-effective way for businesses to saturate a localized area and get their marketing messages directly into the hands of consumers and, optionally, local businesses. Agents can use a digital mapping tool to select postal routes and filter down chosen routes based on preferred demographics such as location, income, age, type of household, and more. Marketing messages are then delivered to "every door" on the postal route.

PIA members who would like to use a more targeted approach can send personalized, Targeted Direct Mail instead. Customers can provide their own mailing list, purchase a mailing list from ONE Brand, or select a combination of the two. Purchased lists are targeted to ideal audiences based on preferences such as geography, age, gender, income level, and more.

"Finding new clients in an increasingly competitive environment can be challenging for independent agents," said PIA National President Keith Savino, CPIA, of Mahwah, New Jersey. "PIA's Direct Marketing Vault allows agents to locate their desired customers and create highly targeted postcard marketing campaigns with the option of serving digital advertisements to all postcard recipients. The one-two punch of print and digital advertising served to the same audience promises to elevate PIA members' marketing acumen to a whole new level."

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Two days after Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane researchers issued a news release in which they continue to predict a near-average 12 hurricanes in the 2019 Atlantic season, with two reaching major hurricane strength, the federal government's forecasting agency is out with a differing prediction. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns hurricane activity is expected to be greater than normal. NOAA said it now expects up to 17 named storms before the season ends on November 30, with up to four of those becoming major storms.

NOAA said El Nino conditions had since returned to a neutral status, which will eventually allow hurricane formation to ramp up. None of these forecasts can say whether the coming storms will make landfall, which can only be predicted about a week in advance. Gerry Bell, NOAA's lead hurricane forecaster, recommended that coastal residents begin preparing now, warning that "it only takes one storm to have catastrophic impacts on lives and communities."

While CSU and NOAA—the two most prominent hurricane forecasting authorities—sometimes differ slightly in their predictions, this is the most significant divergence in recent memory.

The Hartford is dedicated to providing agents with extraordinary customer service, especially when helping agents rollover their flood book. The Hartford Flood program offers an easy enrollment process, dedicated transfer specialist along with hands on service from your local sales director, and special PIA preferred commissions.

The Hartford Flood program is available to PIA members and their policyholders in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Register.

Other upcoming PIA webinars:

Floodbroker.com — September 11 at 1 PM CT

Cash, Kudos, or Pizza… What motivates Your Staff?
Coaching Employees Through Negativity and Conflict — September 18 at 1 PM CT

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