Some Thoughts on Our Mascot
Sharon Romano Petrelli, Vice President and Co-Founder, Demotech
September 9th, 2023 marked the thirty-eighth anniversary of Demotech’s incorporation. As milestones are reached, one can’t help but be nostalgic. Why did we incorporate Demotech thirty-eight years ago? What were we trying to accomplish? What was our vision for the future?
Demotech has always been a bit of a contrarian. In fact, looking at things a little differently is imbedded in our corporate culture. We wanted to be innovative and creative in the utilization of financial analysis. We wanted to be able to take on projects because they were useful as well as challenging. We wanted to make a difference. We didn’t want to be limited by the usual constraints and believed there were multiple ways to approach challenges. Criteria, such as size, need not factor into our approach, and should not be a definitive criterion for the market we serve.
The dragonfly came to mind. We were developing an ad for an insurance publication with a Tyrannosaurus rex and a dragonfly. It expressed our thoughts. The comparison of size and survival was perfect. The more we used it, the more we could identify with the dragonfly. It became part of our brand.
The dragonfly represents more than meets the eye. The dragonfly was the first winged insect to evolve and survive over 300 million years. It survived because it could adapt. It was this adaptability that attracted us to the dragonfly. Adaptability, and an instinct for survival, related to the vision we had for serving our target markets.
The comparison does not stop there. Scientists have identified key features of the dragonfly’s brain, eyes, and wings that allow them to hunt unerringly. The nervous system of a dragonfly displays an almost human capacity for selective attention. They are able to stay focused. Similarly, it is our belief that insurers that stay focused on insurance fundamentals, and stick to their knitting without straying from their area of expertise, can be successful, no matter their size.
A dragonfly can track a moving target, calculate a trajectory to intercept that target, and adjust its course in transit. Demotech’s vision is to be focused yet flexible, to address the issues that plague the niche we serve. This strategy has served us well since September 9, 1985, and it will continue to serve us in many years to come. Demotech, like the niche of insurers we serve, is built to adapt. We continue to make a difference!