Only ten organizations receive this honor from the global media brand every year.
State Farm has received the Ad Age Marketer of the Year recognition for 2020. The global media brand names only ten companies with that recognition each year.
This year’s recognition spotlighted companies that were able to thrive despite the pandemic impact.
In the publication announcing the Ad Age Marketer of the Year for 2020, the company identified State Farm among those businesses that “didn’t just survive the pandemic, they thrived.” This year was a difficult one for the global economy and was challenging – to say the very least – for businesses in all but a very few industries and categories. That said, State Farm feels that they made some successful strategic marketing moves this year and Ad Age agreed with them.
“In February, when we refreshed our brand and reintroduced Jake from State Farm, none of us could have imagined what was about to unfold,” said Rand Harbert, the insurer’s Executive Vice President and Chief Agency, Sales, and Marketing Officer. “In this unique time, being a good neighbor is more important than ever, and we continue to find new and different ways to tell our story to consumers.”
The recognition as Ad Age Marketer of the Year is respected as there is no application process for consideration.
Nominees for this recognition aren’t named through an application process. Instead, the Ad Age editorial board determines who should be considered each year. The media brand published a substantial document describing the achievements of each of the 10 companies it recognized and described what made them stand out above the others.
To start, State Farm was applauded for having rekindled its “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There,” 49-year-old tagline. This strategy received high praise due to how recognizable the phrase already was. The timing of this move worked well as it occurred just before the turbulence of the year was to begin.
The description of the Ad Age Marketer of the Year worthiness went on to say that the 98-year-old insurer didn’t just look to its traditions, but also looked forward. It launched “a modernization program that touched nearly every facet of its business, from overhauling its media investments and ad partnerships to bolstering its digital acumen.” It also oved more rapidly than most of its rivals, rolling out COVID-19 response advertising very 
quickly. These changes led the insurance company to record growth in 2020, boosting its auto policies by 1.5 million by the end of November.
