Interpolis

Why this project?
In addition to offering insurance products, insurance company Interpolis also develops solutions and services that help to prevent damage and hassle. Solutions that help customers live smarter, more comfortably and safely. Interpolis develops these solutions in four domains: Residency, Mobility, Well-Being and Entrepreneurship. In doing so, an approach has been chosen in which experimentation, prototyping and validation play an important role.

What does the project entail?
Digital agency Freshheads and Interpolis work together in 'embedded' innovation teams on smart solutions that help customers to live smarter, more comfortably and safely. For example within the domain Residency. Evert Hilhorst, strategist at Freshheads, on these embedded teams: ‘We think this is the best way of working together if you want to innovate in a structural way. Once a week we are at the Interpolis office and once a week they are with us. As a result, we really become part of each other's company and also of each other's corporate culture and way of thinking. The team includes people from various disciplines, such as content, business development, proposition management, research, design and development. And sometimes someone from another department works or watches along for a while. We look ahead every quarter and set goals together.’

In this way, the team has already developed various innovations. ‘An example is the Green Roofs proposition. Due to climate change, we are more often confronted with extreme weather, which causes damage to roofs to increase. Extreme rainfall also puts a lot of pressure on the sewer in a short time, which can lead to flooding. Green roofs are a solution to this problem. They have an insulating effect, prevent water damage and protect the roof, which extends the lifespan of the roof. We have developed a proposition for this: consumers can have a green roof constructed at low cost through Interpolis, through collective purchasing. And you do not have to have insurance with Interpolis to make use of this offer. This is good for Interpolis, because it reduces the claims burden. Subsequently, the insurance premiums remain manageable.’

Another example is the Burglary Barometer, with which you can see how big the risk of burglary is in your area today. We have developed a self-learning algorithm that generates predictions with input from various public data sources. Our goal is not to frighten people, but to make them aware of the risk. Then people will pay more attention and take measures to prevent burglary. The Burglary Barometer has now been consulted by more than 145,000 people.

Nice to see that something that once started as an experiment now is having such an impact.

What is the contribution of and to the Creative Industries?
Through Freshheads' own methodology, based on design thinking, the embedded team works on the development of smart solutions and services. ‘We always start from the customer's needs. What exactly is the problem and where are the opportunities?’ Freshheads' expertise lies in the field of starting up projects, discovering opportunities and setting up products or services. ‘Once an idea can stand on its own, is successful and grows, we withdraw and continue to discover the next opportunity for that customer. We always monitor ongoing projects, and determine for each project whether and for how long we will be involved after delivery, in consultation with Interpolis.

We believe that if you work this way, everyone can participate in the creative process; conduct research, speak to users and participate in brainstorms. And then it has added value that so many different disciplines are represented and that there are not only designers in the team. In addition, this method ensures that we can innovate quickly and relatively cheaply: we have gone from a development time of one year to a month.’

If you don't know your end users, you can't think of anything that works for them.

Co-creation plays an important role in every project. ‘If you don't know your end users, you can't think of anything that works for them. We need to understand what Interpolis customers encounter in daily life. Actually, we should know them better than they know themselves. We mainly talk to people about their living situation. In a number of cases, that conversation even takes place in people's homes. That is very valuable, because when you sit with someone at the kitchen table you can also ask questions about things you see, for example that someone has just remodeled. We also ask questions such as: what makes for a pleasant home? What are the risks that could stand in the way of that for you? All team members talk to customers, creating a shared picture: everyone understands the target group and the urgency, so that we really work on solutions as one team. In addition, we sometimes develop exercises that customers can do to discover their needs, for example that people take photos of nice spots in the house.’

What now?
In the coming period, the composed innovation team will continue to develop smart solutions in the field of residency. The team continues to refine the working method, with the aim of improving it and working faster.
Streamer: ‘We must understand what Interpolis customers encounter in everyday life. Ideally, we should know them better than they know themselves.’