Marketing the Message: The Making of the Market for Life Insurance in Australia, 1850–1940

During the late nineteenth century sales of life insurance products in Australia increased at a rapid rate. An investigation of the way in which life insurance products were targeted to the consumers provides insights not only into the marketing approaches but also the changing nature of the mutual organization. This paper utilizes a ‘stages’ approach to analyze the evolution of the marketing message. The experience of Australian mutual insurers suggests that marketing strategy, as with other types of organizational skills evolve in response to both the prevailing business environment and the ability of the firm to acquire and implement new knowledge and ways of conducting business.