A few months ago, Danone Simpson began to erase her name from the insurance company she runs. As part of a rebranding effort to better describe the Woodland Hills insurance broker, Danone Simpson Insurance Services LLC is now operating under the DBA Montage Insurance Solutions and plans to launch its new website in mid-November. “Due to the difficulty of my name, (the company’s name) had been reduced to initials DSI,” Simpson, the firm’s chief executive said. “People can’t figure out what you do.” The new name takes the focus off of Simpson and directs the limelight more on her team, she said. Although the name might have been confusing for some, it hasn’t held back business. The insurance brokerage, which offers workers’ compensation insurance, health insurance, casualty insurance and more, saw revenues jump 39 percent to $25 million from 2008 to 2010. This year, revenue should range in the $27 million to $30 million range, Simpson said. Simpson said the majority of new clients are referrals with about 30 percent of new clients coming from seminars the company participates in. The company also offers human resources consulting services. The myriad offerings led to the firm’s new name, Montage Insurance Solutions, which has been rolled out in steps. Simpson said the company introduced the new brand to clients in May, the community in July and plans to launch the updated website in mid-November. The new website also offers clients the opportunity to donate up to $100 of the agency’s commission to nonprofits. For about two months, Montage’s website has displayed two names — the new and the old — with a promise that the new version will be “coming soon.” And clients can still reach the firm’s employees by their old email addresses tied to the old name. A slow roll-out is necessary to limit confusion among clients, Simpson said. “It’s not an immediate boom: ‘Here we are!’” she said. “Otherwise, we will look like a new brokerage firm.” —Andrew Khouri
Insurance Brokerage Seeks To Limit Confusion with New Name
