Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in insurance. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping insurance
Insurance is bought for peace of mind and judged at the moment of a claim. Agents, digital journeys and claims experience shape trust.
- Many buyers do not fully understand their policies
- Claims experience defines the brand
- Agents remain important alongside digital
Client background
A life insurer, working in India. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A life insurer
- Sector
- Insurance
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Quantitative research, Qualitative research
Client challenge
Many agents became inactive within a year of joining.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: what keeps insurance agents active.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of agents.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 1,200 agents.
- agents1,200
Audiences we typically reach in insurance
Policy buyers and holdersClaimantsAgents and advisersProspectsScheme beneficiaries
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Agent survey
- 3Interviews
- 4Insight
We surveyed active and inactive agents and interviewed some about income, training and support.
Business panelQuantitative researchQualitative research
Sampling strategy
- agents
- 1,200
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Agents dropped out when early income was low.
Early wins keep agents active.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: early wins keep agents active.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: agents dropped out when early income was low.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The insurer introduced a structured first-year support programme.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do people choose a policy?