Scottish Widows
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| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial Services |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Key people | Lord Leitch, Chairman Phil Loney, Managing Director |
| Products | Life insurance Pensions Investments Savings |
| Employees | 3,500 (2011) |
| Parent | Lloyds Banking Group |
| Website | www.scottishwidows.co.uk |
Scottish Widows plc is a life, pensions and investment company located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group. Its product range includes life assurance, pensions, investments and savings. The company has been providing financial services to the UK market since 1815 and is the most trusted life, pensions and investment provider in the UK according to a 2010 Ipsos study.[1]
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[edit] History and background
In March 1812, a number of prominent Scotsmen gathered in the Royal Exchange Coffee Rooms in Edinburgh. They were there to discuss setting up ‘a general fund for securing provisions to widows, sisters and other female relatives’ of fundholders so that they would not be plunged into poverty on the death of the fundholder during and after the Napoleonic Wars. Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society opened in 1815 as Scotland's first mutual life office.
Scottish Widows demutualised and became part of Lloyds TSB on 3 March 2000.
[edit] Facts and figures
- The company has a multi-distribution channel capability. That means they sell products through independent financial advisers, direct to customers and through Lloyds Banking Group bank branches.
- It employs around 3,500 people.[2]
- It is headquartered in Edinburgh.
- It has won numerous awards for its financial services products[3].
[edit] The Scottish Widow
Three models have played the Scottish Widow, a hooded character featured in the company's advertising. The original Widow chosen to portray the company’s brand values in the memorable ‘Looking Good’ commercial in 1986 was Deborah Moore (the daughter of Roger Moore). In 1994, Amanda Lamb took over the role and portrayed the Widow through a period of immense change in financial services. Hayley Hunt became the third and current Scottish Widow in 2005.
[edit] TV advertising
The Scottish Widow first appeared in a television advert directed by David Bailey in 1986. Since then, Scottish Widows has made 10 adverts featuring the Scottish Widow.[4] Scottish Widows was also the first company to launch a national television campaign celebrating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These adverts have made the Widow the most popular icon in the protection, pensions and investments markets.
[edit] Sponsorships
Scottish Widows is the Official Pensions and Investment Provider of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games[5]. The company employs athletes Roger Black MBE and Sarah Storey OBE as their Olympic Ambassadors.[6] Roger and Sarah promote the involvement of Scottish Widows in the London 2012 Games, across the country.
Sarah Storey is a champion swimmer, cyclist and Paralympic success and has claimed 42 major championship gold medals and broken 70 world records along the way. And British Olympian Roger Black triumphed at the highest level in both a team and individual capacity. This includes Olympic silver medal winning performances in the 400m and 4 x 400m relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Scottish Widows also launched their Golden Hopefuls sponsorship programme[7] to help four of Britain's new generation of world-class sporting hopefuls prepare to achieve their goals of competing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ali Jawad[8], Toni Prince[9], James McLean[10] and Callum Skinner[11] have all demonstrated outstanding potential in their chosen sports.
[edit] References
- ^ IPSOS brand tracking study 2010
- ^ Scottish Widows staff (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/about_us/who_we_are/our_brand.html)
- ^ Scottish Widows awards (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/about_us/who_we_are/awards)
- ^ Scottish Widows adverts (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/tv/advertising)
- ^ Scottish Widows London 2012 site (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london 2012)
- ^ Scottish Widows Ambassadors(www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london2012/ambassadors)
- ^ Scottish Widows Golden Hopefuls (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london2012/goldenhopefuls)
- ^ Ali Jawad (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london2012/alijawad)
- ^ Toni Prince (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london2012/toniprince)
- ^ James McLean (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london2012/jamesmclean)
- ^ Callum Skinner (www.scottishwidows.co.uk/london2012/callumskinner)
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 55°56′42.11″N 3°12′27.82″W / 55.9450306°N 3.2077278°W
