Allstate Unveils Advocacy Campaign to Alert Americans to Catastrophes

What if while Katrina was pounding New Orleans, California had been hit by an earthquake?

Actually, there were three that day.

The above is an example of one of the messages that Allstate is delivering to consumers in a new national advertising campaign launched Wednesday and set to appear in major newspapers across the U.S.

In the new campaign Allstate has taken a stand to raise awareness and spur a national dialogue about better preparing and protecting Americans from catastrophic events. The campaign offers ideas about how we can all help better manage our nation’s response to these devastating events before they strike and offers some startling catastrophe facts for consumers to consider.

The campaign also represents a call to action for consumers to evaluate the country’s disaster preparedness for themselves and get involved by becoming part of the solution through the http://www.ProtectingAmerica.Org coalition.

“Allstate is a vocal proponent of developing a new way for how America deals with catastrophes and this advertising campaign is intended to bring our message to consumers,” said Thomas Wilson, president and chief operating officer, The Allstate Corporation. “The risks we all face from natural disasters are on the rise. In order to help ordinary Americans manage those risks and the financial consequences that result from catastrophes, a stronger public-private partnership at the local, state and federal levels must be forged.”

“Insurance companies and individual Americans cannot solve this problem alone. State governments and our leaders in Washington must help develop a solution. The damage from catastrophes can be mitigated. But the country must act now – before another catastrophic hurricane or a major earthquake strikes.”

The Allstate campaign will include full-page advertisements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the Chicago Tribune and Capitol Hill publications Roll Call and The Hill. The content of the advertisements offers some catastrophe facts for people to consider as well as what Allstate believes can be done to better prepare and protect our country from the impact catastrophes cause.

The ideas Allstate is offering on better preparing Americans for major catastrophes include:

1. Strengthen first responders. Build additional capacity into local
police and fire departments so that the situation can be
stabilized, human suffering minimized and further property damage
prevented.

2. Better understand the growing risks. More people are moving into
areas that are at higher risk for natural disasters. Many who live
in these areas may not fully appreciate the risk or chose not to
purchase broader protection. Either way, add the two together, and
it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

3. Rebuild smarter and stronger. In some parts of the country,
building codes aren’t strong enough to make buildings withstand
the catastrophes that are likely to occur.

4. Create catastrophe funds. The public and private sectors must work
together to create a financial backstop program at the state and
federal level that can provide consumers more protection at lower
cost. Funds would accumulate in advance of catastrophes so we are better prepared. Consumers and insurance companies cannot solve this crisis alone.