Would you buy insurance from a digital avatar?

A conversation about insurance marketing, selling to Gen Z and digital avatars with a marketing entrepreneur – Constantin Buda

Insurance is often called boring. I am the first one to admit that our industry is far from proposing to their customers to buy insurance from digital avatars. And we are probably not well-equipped to sell to Gen Z.

In this conversation, I sat down with Constantin Buda, a marketing and digital entrepreneur who leads Vidalico, a B2B growth agency with roots in Finland and a fresh footprint in Switzerland. Constantin is not from the insurance industry. And that is what makes this conversation so refreshing.

We talked about what the industry looks like from the outside, how insurance could speak to a younger generation, what GenAI and digital avatars might bring—and why the magic is not in the tools, but in the mindset.

How does insurance look like to a customer

Mirela: So far, you’ve encountered insurance mostly as a marketing expert and as a customer. And I’m the first one to say this is a very boring industry. What does it look like from the outside?

Constantin: I couldn’t agree with you more—insurance is a boring industry. And I think there are a few reasons why. It hasn’t really changed in the past 10 or 15 years. I’ve worked in Finland, in the Nordics, and now in Switzerland, and I’d say insurance is one of those “musts” in life—you need it for your car, your home, your business—but it’s not something people get excited about.

It’s unattractive. When I buy insurance, I’m just comparing prices and choosing the cheapest one. The messaging is outdated, the marketing hasn’t caught up with the way people live today, where half the population is using AI to plan meals. It’s behind.

How to explain an insurance product to a child

Mirela: And you’re also dealing with highly regulated environments, which makes it even more difficult. But I loved what you said earlier when we talked—about how you ask your clients, “How would you explain your product to a 5- or 10-year-old?”

Constantin: Exactly. When I work with clients from heavy industries—mining, energy, and so on—I ask them that. And I would ask the same of insurance companies. How would you explain your offering? And in which format? Because today, communication happens on mobile, on social media, in small doses.

But insurance is often fragmented—you have the company, then you have agents, partners. So, who am I actually dealing with? Who do I go to when something bad happens?

Customer experience is fragmented

Mirela: Exactly. In insurance, we call that a claim. But most people outside the industry don’t even know the terminology.

Constantin: Right. And it creates this fragmented customer journey. The website says one thing, mobile says another, and then there are the agents. I grew up in Romania, like you. And back then, insurance was sold through agents. You bought a policy from your friend because they were the ones selling it. But that did not translate into trust in the company behind it.

Mirela: And you trusted the friend, not the system. That’s still the case today in many places—even for simple products. Insurance is still a relationship-driven business. But with generative AI, we might see some changes. Some products still require expert advice. But for things like travel insurance? That can be easily handled by a chatbot if it’s built right.

Constantin: Yes. And in insurance, like in pharma or banking, the regulation is strong. But the way we present information is… let’s say, outdated. I dread getting a new policy. The first conversation is about protection, maybe some benefits. And then: the fine print. Legal language, jargon—pages of it. I never read it.

Storytelling is the most important part in insurance marketing

Mirela: And I’m going to confess something here. I’ve developed insurance products—life, health, property—and even I don’t read the full terms and conditions when I buy for myself. I hate it.

Constantin: Exactly. So why not simplify? I’d go further than personalisation—I’d go into hyper-personalisation. Segment the audience deeply, meet them where they are—on their channels, in their language, based on their culture, hobbies, or life stage. Then explain what insurance really does. And tell stories. Real ones. People relate to stories.

If I were running an insurer’s marketing, I’d focus on mini customer success stories. “Here’s what happened when this person made a claim. Here’s how we helped.” Show the process, the emotion, the outcome. That’s how people evaluate whether to trust a brand.

Mirela: I look at testimonials, ratings, and reviews. I want to see how people like me were treated. If I read that someone had a bad experience, that’s a dealbreaker for me.

An insurance claim is a very stressful moment for people. They might be in an accident, injured, or dealing with illness. The experience at that moment matters a lot. This is the moment of truth, when you show your value. So what would you do differently in that case?

Constantin: I’d start with those bite-sized stories—real stories. Then I’d simplify the technical language. Use chatbots to guide users, but always give them the possibility to connect with a human.

When buying insurance, I’d even go a step further: build an interactive policy builder. Have a chatbot act like a virtual advisor. Ask questions in natural language. Let people choose options and understand what they’re getting.

How to sell insurance to Gen Z?

Mirela: I love that. Let’s go to another topic—how would you sell insurance to Gen Z?

Constantin: First, I’d figure out where they spend time. Then I’d use creators or influencers they follow. Build video content—explain-it-like-I’m-five style. “You’re going to Bali? Here’s what happens if your luggage disappears. That’s why you need travel insurance.”

And I’d bundle the product with something relevant. In Finland, for example, one of the insurers I use gives me loyalty points with a major retailer every time I pay my insurance. Those points turn into cash. That works. And for Gen Z, you could partner with providers of trendy services and products.

Mirela: Plus, we always communicate in terms of risk. But maybe we should talk about freedom. You’re covered. Go explore. What can be more attractive for a young person than replacing risk with adventure?

Constantin: Totally. The tone of voice has to change. Insurance still communicates with fear. “What if your house burns down?” But what if we talked about value instead?

And insurers could start giving something back. Not just in claims, but in small benefits—maybe a free spa visit, a coffee from a partner brand. It creates stickiness and builds experience beyond the core product.

Mirela: Yes—but it has to be relevant. I worked for a company that created an ice cream contest once. But no one wants to buy ice cream from an insurer. A sensor that prevents water damage in your home? Yes, that’s relevant. Ice cream? Maybe not so much.

Mindset and data as foundations for AI

And all of this goes back to what we keep saying: mindset and data. You do not need to replace your core systems. Start with orchestration. Know where you are. Use the right tools.

Constantin: Right. You can have the best tools in the world—if the mindset is not there, they are useless. The tool will only do what it was designed to do. And then, you need a real data strategy. Right now, data is everywhere—across systems, agents, departments—and an insurance company can lose track and miss important data points.

Another important thing insurers could do more of: run small experiments to see what works and iterate quickly. That is how you stay competitive. Do not invest massive amounts of cash in platforms that no one will use. Test first.

And there are so many parallels to banking. Startups like Revolut, N26, and Swissquote have already changed the game. It is just a matter of time until insurance faces real disruption, too.

Mirela: The entry barriers are high—but innovation often comes from the edges. From startups. From under the regulatory radar. And if you build platforms that help insurers—not compete with them—you can help them go to market faster, with better experiences. I believe more in cooperation with the big players than in competition.

The ideal customer journey

Mirela: Imagine you are buying a supplementary health policy online. What would the ideal experience look like?

Constantin: I would want a clean, immersive experience. No pop-ups. No noise. Maybe an animated avatar I can talk to—one that reacts to my gestures, responds in natural language, and guides me through the process.

And if it gets stuck? Escalate to a human, seamlessly. That is how you create trust.

Digital Avatars in insurance

Mirela: Now you’ve got me dreaming about avatars finalising my policies and doing my work while I relax on a beach.

Constantin: That dream is not far off. I work with a company in Finland building avatars using NVIDIA’s Omniverse. You create a digital twin—one that mimics your voice and expressions. It can handle interactions when you are not available.

Mirela: A “mini me” that does my business while I do the things I want. I love it. Recently, I wrote some essays on LinkedIn about “What am I going to do when AI takes over my job”.

Constantin: It is weird—but very real. And it is already being used in other industries. Digital twins for factories, logistics, and manufacturing. So why not for people?

Mirela: Of course, there will be regulation and privacy concerns. But innovation always starts with a mindset. Once we figure out what is possible, we can deliver it in a compliant way.

Constantin, I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. It was enjoyable to explore this from the outside in.

Constantin: Likewise. Thank you, Mirela. Let’s create some avatars for the insurance business and test how people would react to them. This will be a fun experiment.

Closing thoughts

This was not your usual insurance interview. Constantin did not use industry buzzwords or stick to safe territory. He asked real questions—ones we too often avoid in the industry.

Why do we make things so hard to understand? Why are we still selling with fear instead of value? And why, after all these years, are we still not listening enough to the people we serve?

Talking to Constantin reminded me that fresh eyes often see the clearest. And that real transformation starts where curiosity meets courage.

Thank you, Constantin—for the sharp questions, the fun ideas, and the reminder that boring industries can still have bold futures.