Northwestern Mutual brand refresh shows it’s no longer “The Quiet Company”

Geoffrey Precourt

Northwestern Mutual, the financial-services provider, has sought to differentiate its brand from the sea of sameness that typically defines its category.

“Data alone rarely leads us anywhere worthwhile,” insists Aditi Gokhale, chief marketing officer at Northwestern Mutual. “Without a heavy dose of human insights, you only get one piece of the picture.

“What is missing from the data picture are the human stories that illuminate the truths in the world. Marketers need to marry compelling data and human insights and bring them together in a fresh perspective.”

For years, the Milwaukee-based financial-services enterprise was known as “The Quiet Company” (“Where Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” the sub-themeline read), which attracted business often by the force of its understated, but AAA, reputation....

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