2019ISSUE I I

YOUR EGO: ASSET OR LIABILITY? PAGE 22

SALES SUCCESS WITH SMART CHOICE

SALES SUCCESS WITH SMART CHOICE

2019ISSUE I I I

ARE YOU IN YOUR CLIENT’S FUTURE? PAGE 16

THE COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGE

2019ISSUE I V

AGENCY MARKETING BEST PRACTICES PAGE 12

THE SALES AND MARKETING ISSUE

2019ISSUE V

WHAT’S YOUR 5-YEAR PLAN? PAGE 10

FINANCES AND GROWTHSECURING YOUR FUTURE

2018ISSUE V I

SPECIAL FEATURE:2018 YEAR END REVIEWPAGE 16

REAL NUMBERSREAL GROWTH

REAL RESULTS

2019ISSUE I

MAKE YOUR NEW YEARS GOALS STICK PAGE 22

THE TRUTH ABOUT

AGENCYNETWORKS

2020 MEDIA KIT

BONUS DISTRIBUTIONOur marketing and sales teams use Smart Choice® Magazine as their number one recruiting tool. In addi-tion to the regular readers of our magazine, hundreds of agents and business owners outside the program receive our publication, giving your ad further reach within the industry.

NATIONAL AWARENESSSmart Choice® Magazine is mailed to agents across the United States. While some publications may charge you by region or state, you pay one fee for your advertisement to reach 45 different states and growing!

WHY SMART CHOICE®

45 STATES NATIONWIDE

READERSHIPThousands of potential agents and Smart Choice® company partners…

Smart Choice® has partnerships with some of the top names in the insurance industry, from smaller regional companies to nationwide insurance carriers. We are one of the nation’s leading source of insurance carrier access assistance for independent insurance agents.

Our readers look to Smart Choice® Magazine for new products and services, business coaching, personal coaching, marketing tips, sales advice, inspiration and entrepreneurial assistance.

27,000 READERS

7,600 Independent Insurance Agencies Selling

$1 BILLION IN PREMIUM

8 MILLION CUSTOMERS

SERVED

Requirements for Digital Advertising Materials

File Formats: High-resolution press-ready PDF (preferred), Illustrator EPS, InDesign, or Photoshop TIFF or Jpeg. Color and grayscale images saved at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi at 100% of actual size. Vector or line art graphics set at a minimum of 600 dpi. Text in vector images (Illustrator) must be converted to paths or outlines to eliminate font problems. Save all images as EPS or TIFF only. All four-color artwork must be saved as CMYK format.

File Submission: Only send files to be used in your ad. Hi-resolution file with all fonts and graphics used should be included. Materials are due by the dates listed on 2019 Smart Choice® Advertising Agreement. Smart Choice® reserves the right to reject any materials submitted after that date, and is not responsible for associated printing errors.

PDF File Construction Guidelines: • Build pages to ad size and extend images

1/8” beyond trim if bleed is required.

• Include all fonts and linked graphics.

• Include fonts for all imported graphics or convert fonts to outlines.

• Do not embed ICC profiles within the ad or images.

• All colors must be set to CMYK unless spot colors are requested. Remove all unused colors.

• All color images must be set to CMYK. RGB or LAB color is not allowed.

• All ads need a call to action and should reference the following: Please contact your Smart Choice® state director for more information.

Retention of Submitted Materials: Unless specifically requested, all materials will be held for 12 months and then discarded.

Full page

1/2 H

1/3 square

1/3 V

Double Page Spread

SPECIFICATIONSTrim Size 8.5”x11”Column Size, three per page 2.25”x11”Bleed Size 8.75”x11.25”Binding saddle stitchKeep live area at least .25” from trim

MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTSAd size Dimensions

Double page spread 17”x11”

Full page 8.5”x11”

1/2 H 8.5”x5”

1/3 V 2.25”x11”

2/3 V 2.25”x11”

1/3 square 4.875”x5”

AD SPECS SMART CHOICE® MAGAZINE

2/3 V

2020 RATE CARD SMART CHOICE® MAGAZINE

Smart Choice® Magazine uses four-color processing

only. All ad prices include each process color fee.

Prices are per ad per issue.

Premiums- Back Cover (+20%)

- Inside Front Cover (+15%)

- Inside Back Cover (+15%)

- Center Spread (+15%)

DeadlinesExtensions granted for ad submissions are not subject

to cancellation by the advertiser after the agreed

upon date. All financial agreements must be honored

by the closing date.

ADVERTISING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The placement of advertising in Smart Choice® Magazine at the request of an advertiser or advertising agency, if any, consti-tutes an agreement between Smart Choice® Magazine and the advertiser/advertising agency. Advertisers/advertising agencies agree to be bound by the published Smart Choice® Magazine advertising rate schedule in effect at the time the advertisement is placed.

All costs, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and collection agency fees arising out of a breach of this agreement by the advertiser/advertising agency for non-payment of fees due or any other reason, shall be the responsibility of the advertiser/advertising agency. Smart Choice® Magazine, advertiser/advertising agency agree that this contract shall be subject to the laws and jurisdiction of the state of North Carolina.

Publisher reserves right to refuse any advertising and shall be under no liability for failure—for any cause—to insert an advertisement.

Smart Choice® assumes all advertisements that it has accepted have been properly authorized by the advertiser and/or agency for publication of the advertisement’s entire contents and subject matter thereof. In consideration of the publisher’s acceptance of ads for publication, the advertiser and/or agency, jointly and severally, indemnify and hold the publisher harmless from and against all claims, liabilities, lawsuits, actions, losses, damages, or expenses of any nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and the costs of defense) arising out of any acts or omissions in connection with the advertisement(s) published, including without limitation, actions, claims, or lawsuits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement.

No conditions, printed or otherwise, appearing on the space order, billing instructions or copy instructions that conflict with the publisher’s stated policies or business publications contract and copy regulations will be binding on the publisher.

Mary Ann Smithmasmith@smartchoiceagents.com 888-264-3388 ext. 3017

*if files are larger than 10MB please use WeTransfer.com to submit your artwork.

Smart Choice PublicationsAtn: Jef Morgan4121 Beechwood DriveGreensboro, NC 27410

336-217-4665 faxjmorgan@smartchoiceagents.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

FULL COLOR 1X 3X 6X

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD $5,900 $5,305 $5,026

FULL PAGE $3,077 $2,951 $2,652

1/2 HORIZONTAL $2,222 $2,130 $1,915

1/3 VERTICAL $1,592 $1,526 $1,378

2/3 VERTICAL $1,908 $1,829 $1,645

1/3 SQUARE $1,539 $1,475 $1,327

WANT A PARTICULAR PLACEMENT IN THE MAGAZINE?

LOOK OVER HERE!

Send Advertising/Editorial Materials to*:

Send or Fax Advertising Agreements to:

ISSUE I ISSUE II

Materials Due: 01/13/20Publish Date: 02/10/20

Personal Lines/SSPL *Subtopic new training launch

Materials Due: 03/09/20 Publish Date: 04/06/20

E&S/Express Markets

2020 EDITORIAL CALENDAR SMART CHOICE® MAGAZINE

ISSUE III ISSUE IV

Materials Due: 05/04/20Publish Date: 06/08/20

The Commercial Advantage/SSCL *Subtopic: Conference Overview

Materials Due: 07/06/20 Publish Date: 08/03/20

Back-to-School/Agent Education

ISSUE V ISSUE VI

Materials Due: 09/07/20Publish Date: 10/05/20

The Marketing Issue

Materials Due: 11/02/20 Publish Date: 12/07/20

2020 Year End Review / 2021 Goals

RECURRING FEATURESFrom the Front Line | State Director and Territory Manager Highlight | InFocus | Letter from the CEO