Compare the Market Australia

Comparethemarket.com.au was launched in Australia in 2012, six years after the launch of comparethemarket.com in the United Kingdom.{{cite web | url=http://www.insurancenews.com.au/international/bgl-eyes-london-float-for-compare-the-market | title= BGL eyes London float for Compare The Market | author= | date=18 July 2016 | website=insurancenews.com.au | publisher=McMullan Conway Communications Pty Ltd |accessdate=6 March 2017}} Using the comparethemarket.com.au service, Australian customers can compare a number of products based on price, features, and more. These products include health insurance,{{cite web | url=https://www.marketingmag.com.au/news-c/compare-meerkats-second-best-selling-cuddly-toys-uk-2015-2016/ | title=After huge UK sales, Compare The Market meerkat toys come to Australia | last=Ice | first=Ben | date=9 February 2017 | publisher=Marketingmag.com.au | accessdate=6 March 2017}} car insurance,{{cite web | url=http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/costs/compare-the-market-mainly-compares-insurance-offered-by-its-parent-company/news-story/e25c446c8a60c7291eb803eaeefd5e6b | title=Compare the Market mainly compares insurance offered by its parent company | last=Rolfe | first=John | date=1 November 2016 | publisher=News.com.au | accessdate=6 March 2017}} and energy.{{cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/ipart-says-nsw-electricity-market-working-well-as-it-urges-customers-to-switch-20160920-grk394.html | title=IPART says NSW electricity market 'working well' as it urges customers to switch | last=Han | first=Esther | date=20 September 2016 | publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

In 2015, the company signed a deal to secure Bupa, one of Australia's largest health insurers, as a participating health fund. The deal ensured that Bupa products could be compared on comparethemarket.com.au, alongside products from health funds like ahm (owned by Medibank) and HBF Health Fund.{{cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/compare-the-market-signs-bupa-deal-20150930-gjyb6b.html | title=Compare The Market signs Bupa deal | last1=Liew | first1=Ruth | last2=Binsted | first2=Tim | date=1 October 2015 | publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

Comparethemarket.com.au was the first commercial comparison website in Australia to disclose the amount of commission it receives from participating health funds. As of 2016, the standardised flat fee equated to a net present value of 27.75 percent of the first-year premium of the health insurance product sold by the company.{{cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/compare-the-market-signs-bupa-deal-20150930-gjyb6b.html | title=Compare The Market signs Bupa deal | last1=Liew | first1=Ruth | last2=Binsted | first2=Tim | date=1 October 2015 | publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

Comparethemarket.com.au continues to compete against other comparison services in Australia, like iSelect and Choosi.{{cite web | url=https://www.choice.com.au/money/insurance/insurance-advice/articles/insurance-comparison-sites#compare | title=Insurance comparison sites | last=Bird | first=Jodi | date=19 August 2014 | website=Choice | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

Compare the Market is perhaps best known for its marketing campaigns featuring meerkat characters Aleksandr Orlov and his Head of IT, Sergei.{{cite web | url=https://mumbrella.com.au/compare-market-creates-first-local-meerkat-campaign-mission-impawsible-276631 | title=Compare the Market creates first local meerkat campaign with 'Mission Impawsible' | last=Hayes | first=Alex | date=17 February 2015 | publisher=Mumbrella | accessdate=6 March 2017}} The meerkat advertisements started with Aleksandr Orlov's mission to clear the confusion up for Australians who mistook his website comparethemeerkat.com.au for comparethemarket.com.au.{{cite web | url=https://mumbrella.com.au/compare-market-tells-story-aleksandr-olrovs-ancestors-came-russia-new-cinema-campaign-243869 | title=Compare the Market tells the story of how Aleksandr Olrov's ancestors came to Russia in new cinema campaign | last=Ward | first=Miranda | date=11 August 2014 | publisher=Mumbrella | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

The same marketing campaign was launched years earlier in the United Kingdom for comparethemarket.com, which ended up topping a Nielsen consumer poll to be dubbed “UK’s most loved ad”.{{cite web | url=http://www.bandt.com.au/advertising/Comparison-site-launching-meerkat-assault-on-Sunda | title=Comparison site launching meerkat assault on Sunday | author= | date=1 February 2013 | publisher=B&T Magazine | accessdate=6 March 2017}} As of 2017, the UK business continues to use these characters in their own marketing.{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/the-simples-idea-that-became-a-16310m-empire-2119590.html | title=The 'Simples!' idea that became a £10m empire | last=Hickman | first=Martin | date=4 April 2012 | work=The Independent | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

Another meerkat character, Baby Oleg, was introduced in August 2015.{{cite web | url=https://mumbrella.com.au/ad-wrap-compare-the-market-does-christmas-plus-ing-direct-nimble-bulla-and-woolworths-334410 | title=Ad wrap: Compare the Market does Christmas; plus ING Direct, Nimble, Bulla and Woolworths | last=Ward | first=Miranda | date=8 December 2015 | publisher=Mumbrella | accessdate=6 March 2017}} The storyline continued with Aleksandr Orlov buying the Compare the Market business, and introduced a human character named Tom.{{cite web | url=https://adstandards.com.au/cases/2016/March?ref=0119/16 | title=Case Report, Number 0119/16 | author= | date=8 December 2015 | publisher=Advertising Standards Board | accessdate=6 March 2017}} In 2017, the company launched a limited run of meerkat toys for their health insurance customers.{{cite web | url=http://www.bandt.com.au/advertising/meerkat-celebrities-aleksandr-sergei-make-way | title= Meerkat Celebrities Aleksandr And Sergei Make Their Way Down Under | last=McGuire | first=Neneh | date=13 February 2017 | publisher=B&T Magazine | accessdate=6 March 2017}}{{cite web | url=https://mumbrella.com.au/compare-the-markets-aleksandr-the-meerkat-and-sergei-arrive-as-toys-in-australia-425485 | title=Compare the Market's Aleksandr the Meerkat and Sergei arrive as toys in Australia | last=Samios | first=Zoe | date=10 February 2017 | publisher=Mumbrella | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

Aleksandr's catchphrase, “simples”, is so well known that it can be found in both the Macmillan English dictionary,{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/video-advertising/meerkat-mission | title=Meerkat mission: campaign that broke the online ad barrier | last=Biddiscombe | first=Ross | date=20 February 2010 | publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald | accessdate=6 March 2017}} as well as the Oxford English Dictionary.{{cite web | url=http://www.bandt.com.au/advertising/meerkat-celebrities-aleksandr-sergei-make-way | title= Meerkat Celebrities Aleksandr And Sergei Make Their Way Down Under | last=McGuire | first=Neneh | date=13 February 2017 | publisher=B&T Magazine | accessdate=6 March 2017}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/}}

Category:Financial services companies established in 2012

Category:Internet properties established in 2012

Category:Companies based in Brisbane

Category:Comparison shopping websites

Category:2012 establishments in Australia