Confused.com

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Confused.com
Company typeLimited company
IndustryFinancial services
Founded2001
HeadquartersCardiff, Wales, UK
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Steve Dukes (CEO)
ServicesFinancial services
ParentRVU
Websitehttps://www.confused.com

Confused.com is a UK-based financial services comparison platform. It launched in 2001 and specialises in comparing insurance and financial services. This includes car insurance, home insurance, energy, van insurance, broadband and life insurance. Confused.com also has a website and an app.

Confused.com was the first-ever Price Comparison Website (PCW) on the market[1]. It’s based in  Cardiff, Wales, and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

History[edit]

Under Admiral Group[edit]

Confused.com was owned by the Admiral Group. Kate Armstrong launched the site in 2001 and it became the UK’s first car insurance price comparison site[1].

The company aimed to simplify the insurance policy search process. Before Confused.com, customers would have to navigate multiple websites and re-enter the same details to get an insurance quote. This often resulted in inconsistent information and pricing.[2] Confused.com solved this by offering a platform where users could enter their details and get quotes from multiple insurers to save time and money.

Admiral provided Confused.com with a limited budget and timescale to succeed[3]. The project got support from Admiral’s founder, Henry Engelhart.

The original technology behind Confused.com originated from the acquisition of Inspop.com Limited by Admiral Group. The transaction involved acquiring Inspop's web scraping tools, which were used in the early days of Confused.com.[4] Confused.com's first product (in 2001) involved a £10 membership fee. This model was replaced in 2002 by the current free-to-use model.

Confused.com soon developed a new sophisticated quote engine with several insurance partners on their panel, enabling customers to easily compare quotes across multiple companies.

Inspop.com remained a distinct legal entity and department within Admiral until its sale to RVU in 2021.[5]

During its first 5-6 years, the company experienced rapid growth.It expanded its offerings from car insurance to 40 different products, attracting 11.3 million customers[6] and generating approximately £30 million in profit.[3]

Former Confused.com team member Hayley Parsons founded competitor price comparison website, Go.Compare, in 2006.[7]

Admiral Group had several price comparison websites (PCWs) outside of the UK, including Rastreator and LeLynx. Penguin Portals, a holding company, served as the umbrella organisation for these.[8]

To preserve operational independence from Admiral, Confused.com operated from separate offices in Cardiff. It also limited its interactions with Admiral's higher management.[9] However, there were similarities in company culture and personnel.  For example, individuals like Kate Armstrong and Andy Brockway transitioned from Admiral to Confused.com roles.[3]

As a subsidiary of Admiral Group plc, Confused.com was part of a broader portfolio of businesses, mainly consisting of car insurance brands[10], including:

  • Diamond: Insurance targeting female drivers.
  • Bell: Insurance targeting younger drivers.
  • Gladiator: Van insurance.
  • Elephant: An online-only insurance service.

Admiral Group went public on the stock exchange in September 2004[11].

Under RVU[edit]

Admiral Group PLC sold Confused.com to RVU on May 30, 2021[12].

Joining RVU has allowed Confused.com to operate more independently, as well as receiving significant investment and growth opportunities[13].

Integration into RVU gave Confused.com access to an extended network, including new colleagues in London. This expansion contributed to a wider variety of ideas and expertise within the company, to help further develop Confused.com’s core products and market share.[6]

Confused.com is now integrated into a network of similar sites, all designed to facilitate comparison and enable better financial decision-making for consumers.

Other brands in the RVU network include:[14]

  • Uswitch: A UK-based price comparison service for utilities and telecommunications services.
  • Money.co.uk: A financial comparison website offering comparisons on a range of financial products, such as credit cards and bank savings.
  • Mojo mortgages: An online mortgage broker offering free mortgage advice[15].
  • Tempcover:  Temporary car insurance cover. Temp cover was bought by RVU in July 2022[16].

App development and features[edit]

In 2011, Confused.com launched the first-ever telematics app, Motormate, designed to encourage better driving with rewards.[17] This has since been retired.

Confused.com introduced a different app, QuickQuote in 2013. Customers could get insurance quotes using just an email address and a vehicle registration number on this app. Although it initially attracted over 100,000 users and was advertised on television, the service was temporarily suspended.

QuickQuote was reactivated in 2019 and became a key feature of Confused.com's digital services.

The Confused.com App, released in 2019, replaced the QuickQuote app and includes the feature for generating insurance quotes. It also features:[18]

  • Insurance renewal reminders, that inform the customer of the best date to get the lowest price on a new policy.
  • Detailed information about vehicles and access to MOT history.
  • Quick quote feature for immediate insurance estimates.
  • Estimated costs for those looking to buy a car, including depreciation, road tax, and running costs.
  • Exclusive app-only rewards, including 12 free hot drinks.
  • Access to existing quotes.

The Confused.com app has been downloaded over 500,000 times on Google Play[19] and has a 4.8-star rating on Apple's App Store.[20]

The app averages about 20,000 new users per month.[21]

In 2022, the app was shortlisted for the National Tech Awards.[22]

Company structure and culture[edit]

Confused.com has invested significantly in cultivating a collaborative and dedicated team culture.

The company promotes learning and development through equal access to opportunities, transparent communication, and recognition of achievements.

Key Personnel[edit]

Significant figures in the history of Confused.com include:

Kate Armstrong: The founder of Confused.com, Kate Armstrong's legacy continues to be a key part of the company identity. Her influence is commemorated with a dedicated room in the office named after her. She remains involved with Confused.com, regularly conducting talks and sharing insights about the company's origins and development.[3]

Louise O'Shea: Transitioning from Finance Director to CEO[23], Louise O'Shea significantly impacted the company's financial growth. She was a driving force behind the sale of Confused.com to RVU. Under her leadership, profits went from £10.1 million in 2017 to £29.4 million in 2020. A founding partner of Fintech Wales, Louise introduced various positive changes and had a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Steve Dukes: Steve Dukes was appointed as the CEO of Confused.com as Louise O'Shea stepped down from the role after almost 6 years. Dukes joined Confused.com as the company’s Chief Operating Officer in 2019.[24] Before joining Confused.com, Dukes served in product leadership and general management roles in high-growth companies within the financial services and eCommerce sectors. This included serving as CEO at CommuterClub, where he oversaw a period of key transformation within the company.

Martin Coriat: Following his tenure as CEO of Confused.com, Martin Coriat went on to become the CEO of LeLynx.[23]

Andy Brockway: Andy Brockway was a founder member of Confused.com, and crucial in the technological development of the company. He left the company in March 2023.

Sam Day: Sam Day had the longest tenure as CMO at Confused.com. He shifted the marketing strategy from fame-oriented to results-focused ‘spontaneous awareness’.[25] His goal was to position Confused.com as the brand explaining complex insurance topics to customers in a simple manner.[26] This campaign included a website overhaul in 2017, moving from a colourful design to a cleaner, stripped-back site.

Under Sam Day, marketing ROI increased 36% and increased spontaneous brand awareness by 45%, leading to a Silver Effie award in 2020.[25]

Sam Day announced his departure from the company in November 2023.[25]

Partnerships[edit]

In 2014, Confused.com entered into a partnership with Experian to provide real-time alerts for identifying high-risk and fraudulent insurance quotations. This initiative was part of Confused.com's effort to educate and empower insurance consumers.[27]

This collaboration led to Experian Confused, the first comparison site to offer UK insurers real-time alerts for identifying high-risk and potentially fraudulent quotations from suspicious devices.

Sponsorships[edit]

Confused.com has sponsored programmes on ITV such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (including the drama series Quiz), Ninja Warrior UK, Sunday Night at the Palladium, Celebrity Squares, Catchphrase, Emmerdale, and The Simpsons on Sky Showcase (formerly Sky One & Sky 1). It also previously sponsored the ITV National Weather. In 2019, along with Land Rover, they were a sponsor of ITV's coverage of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Confused.com is the principal sponsor for Fintech Awards Wales.[28]

Response to COVID-19[edit]

As the COVID-19 pandemic began, Confused.com transitioned to a fully remote operation within a week. This quick shift was facilitated by the international nature of being a part of Penguin Portal groups, which had already accustomed the team to remote collaboration in a bid to improve sustainability.[29]

The company established a COVID hub, which provided updated information and reassurance on a weekly basis. This hub was a resource for clear and immediate information, helping to navigate the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic.[29]

Advertising[edit]

Confused.com's first advert featured a simple white screen with a narrator addressing pain points. The narrator explained how Confused.com could alleviate the confusion surrounding insurance matters.[30]

Adverts in early 2010 focused on the concept of regret. It featured members of the public lamenting that they could have purchased something they wanted if they had purchased their car insurance through Confused.com.

The company managed all of its marketing efforts in-house, before the company switched to partnering with external agencies in 2008.[31]

2010 - 2013: Cara Confused[edit]

Confused.com introduced "Cara Confused," an animated character featured in its advertising campaigns.[32] The initial campaign had a collaboration with Nectar, where customers would receive 1000 Nectar points when they purchased car insurance through Confused.com. The ‘Cara Confused’ campaigns were well-known for brand name repetition and adaptations of popular songs like “Y.M.C.A”[33] and Queen songs.

Marketing Director Mike Hoban claimed that this campaign gained Confused.com 2 million customers since launch.[34]

The character of Cara was inspired by the founder, Kate Armstrong, and her distinctive frizzy hair, which also influenced the company's original logo.[32]

2013-2016: Brian the Robot[edit]

Confused.com introduced "Brian the Robot," a naive yet helpful and intelligent robot character.[35] This campaign included giveaways of toys featuring Brian the Robot as an incentive to purchase insurance.[36]

The company positioned itself as the "insurance geek" during this period, offering a family of helper robots to engage with customers.

In 2014, Confused.com partnered with LEGO for a unique advertising campaign, creating entire stop-motion adverts made of LEGO, including Brian the Robot. The campaign was part of an ad break during the release of The Lego Movie.[37] It involved a social media campaign centred around Brian's "kidnapping," which led to the introduction of the helper robots.

2016 - 2018: James Corden[edit]

In 2016, Confused.com began working with actor and comedian James Corden[38] to build brand recognition by associating with a recognised star. The campaign emphasised the "driver wins" era.[39] It celebrated moments such as filling up the car with petrol to a round figure or only hitting green at all traffic lights when driving. It focused on the culture of drivers rather than just the insurance aspect.

2018 - 2024: Confusion to Clarity[edit]

Between 2018 and mid-2024, Confused.com’s advertisements focused on the theme of "The Confusion and the Clarity." These campaigns were designed to explore everyday confusions, interwoven with the brand name, to show how Confused.com is ingrained in customers' daily lives.[40]

The initial campaign featured Timothy Murphy driving into a dystopian landscape, symbolising the confusion people often experience when navigating complex decisions.[41] As the years progressed, the advertising strategy evolved to include a diverse cast of individuals, marking a significant change in direction and tone.[42]

The overarching theme revolved around the "paradox of choice," highlighting the overwhelming array of options and misinformation available that can lead to confusion. The advertisements became more artistic in execution, capturing attention while moving away from a strict focus on car insurance.[26]

The Confused.com comic was launched in the Metro newspaper, where everyday confusions were transformed into a comic strip format, making them more visually accessible.[43]

In October 2023, Confused.com enlisted the services of Leo Burnett to handle its advertising campaigns.This underscored the company's commitment to maintaining a strong presence in the market.

2024 - current : Just used Confused.com[edit]

In May 2024 Confused.com launched the debut advertisement campaign created with new ad agency Leo Burnett. The campaign focuses on the positive feeling customers get from having “Just used Confused.com” and features an array of characters in everyday situations demonstrating this feeling through the medium of a catchy whistle.[44]

Awards and notable TV moments[edit]

2018: The true depth of the UK pothole problem[edit]

In 2018, Confused.com used Freedom of Information data from UK councils to assess the extent of potholes in their areas. They created an interactive infographic illustrating that the combined depth of these potholes was equivalent to the depth of the Mariana Trench.[45]

This campaign won 3 awards and raised public awareness about the pothole issue, showcasing Confused.com's commitment to customer advocacy.

The campaign gained visibility on Scottish Parliament TV.[46]

Industry presence and leadership[edit]

During Martin Coriat's tenure as CEO, Confused.com and other price comparison website CEOs participated in a commission discussing pricing strategies and practices.

Aoife McArdle, who directed the "Confusion to Clarity" ad campaign for Confused.com, has since gained significant acclaim in the industry for her work.[47]

Sam Day, previous Chief Marketing Officer at Confused.com, has been recognised for his excellence in marketing. He appeared in the Top 100 campaign award for five consecutive years.[48]

Confused.com has been the recipient of a number of marketing and industry awards:

  • Winners - Best in-house team: 2014 European Search Awards.[49]
  • Winners - Best systems integration (marketing specialist category): 2013 UK Sitecore site of the year awards.[50]
  • Joint winners - Best financial services site: (joint winners with HSBC) in the financial services category - 2013 UK Sitecore site of the year awards.[51]
  • Highly commended - What Mortgage Best comparison site category: 2013/2014 personal finance awards.[52]
  • Winners - Marketing Excellence award (PR category): 'Driving in heels campaign' - South Wales Chamber of Commerce Marketing Excellence Awards 2013.[53]
  • Winners - PR award: 'Driving in heels campaign' - Canmol Marketing awards 2012.[54]
  • Winners - PR award: 'Middle lane hoggers campaign' - PR Moment Awards 2017.[55]
  • Winners - PPC Best Use of Data: 'Data driving fractional attribution' - The Drum Search Awards 2017.[56]
  • Winners - Best Financial Services Campaign: 'The true depth of the UK's pothole problem' - The Drum Search Awards 2018.[57]
  • Winners – Technological Leadership Award: Andrew Brockway was recognised as the CTO/CIO of the year at the Fintech Awards Wales 2019 for his contributions to technological advancements at Confused.com.[58]
  • Winners – Marketing Excellence: Confused.com received the Silver Effie 2020, acknowledging the effectiveness of their marketing strategies and campaigns.[59]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "About us - Everything you need to know about Confused.com". Confused.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  2. ^ Reid, Lucinda (10 June 2019). "The story of Confused.com and how it continues to support tech talent in Wales". BusinessLive. Retrieved 24 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c d ""20 years at Confused.com": A deep dive into the last 20 years with Andrew Brockway, CTO". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  4. ^ "Admiral acquires Inspop. - Insurance Age". www.insuranceage.co.uk. 2001-09-17. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  5. ^ 2020-12-30T20:03:00+00:00. "Admiral sells Confused.com to Uswitch owner". Insurance Times. Retrieved 2024-05-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b "RVU Careers - Confused.com | RVU". rvu.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  7. ^ Neate, Rupert (2012-11-04). "Go Compare founder could net £100m if insurance site goes for a song". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  8. ^ walker, alastair (2019-11-01). "Global: Admiral Adds Confused.com to Penguin Portals Network". insurance-edge.net. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  9. ^ "Louise O'Shea takes the driving seat at Confused.com". www.insurancebusinessmag.com. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  10. ^ "Subsidiary companies". Subsidiary companies | Admiral Group Plc. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Admiral Launches Initial Public Offering". Admiral Launches Initial Public Offering | Admiral Group Plc. 8 September 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Association, Press (2020-12-29). "Admiral to sell Confused.com to Uswitch owner for £500m". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  13. ^ PLC, Admiral Group (2020-12-29). "Admiral Group plc announces sale of Penguin Portals and Preminen comparison businesses to RVU, the comparison division of ZPG". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  14. ^ "Our brands | RVU". rvu.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  15. ^ "Online Mortgage Broker & Advisor | Mojo Mortgages". mojomortgages.com. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  25. ^ a b c Stephenson, Josh (2023-11-02). "Confused.com CMO Sam Day to leave role". Marketing Week. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  26. ^ a b Sentance, Rebecca (2021-03-24). "How Confused.com rebuilt its brand through customer insight, doing things differently and taking a long-term view". Econsultancy. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  29. ^ a b Clarke, Gina (2021-01-26). "In Profile: Louise O'Shea of Confused.com". The Fintech Times. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  35. ^ "Brian the Robot". The Ad Mascot Wiki. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  38. ^ The AdStasher (2017-01-07). Confused.com land another driver win with James Corden’s perfect park advert. Retrieved 2024-05-24 – via YouTube.
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  53. ^ "Wayback Machine". web.archive.org. 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  57. ^ "The True Depth of the UK's Pothole Problem". Don't Panic!. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  58. ^ "2019 Fintech Awards Wales Shortlist & Winners". Fintech Awards Wales 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  59. ^ "Effie". www.effie.org. Retrieved 2024-05-24.

External links[edit]

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