For insurance companies today, growth is no longer dictated solely by pricing or product innovation. Instead, success increasingly hinges on how well insurers can engage, educate, and support their intermediary partners, including brokers, MGAs, networks, and aggregators, according to Comarch.
While many insurers have heavily invested in direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels, Business-to-Business (B2B) intermediary distribution remains a largely untapped lever for scalable, sustainable growth.
This is particularly true in the Life, Protection, and Employee Benefits sectors, where intermediaries continue to drive a substantial portion of revenue.
Rising regulatory pressures, shifting digital-first behaviours, and heightened partner expectations have created a need for insurers to move beyond legacy systems.
Platforms such as Comarch Digital Insurance equip insurers with the tools to educate, control, and communicate effectively, streamlining operations while unlocking new avenues for growth.
From coffee houses to customer-centricity
The UK insurance trade originated in the coffee houses of 17th-century London, where it built a reputation on risk management, underwriting strength, and actuarial precision.
Fast forward to 2025, and the bottom-line value of customer-centric strategies has become undeniable. Consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, driven by regulatory requirements such as the FCA’s Consumer Duty and GDPR, digital-first channel preferences, and the emergence of AI and automated, seamless experiences.
Yet many insurers continue to rely on legacy platforms that fail to meet today’s distribution demands, representing a significant missed opportunity.
Although D2C channels often take centre stage, intermediaries remain the growth engine for many products, including Protection and Group Benefits.
Insurance distribution is increasingly complex, encompassing:
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brokers and financial advisers
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Managing General Agents (MGAs)
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aggregators and comparison sites
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digital distributors
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affinity partners
Managing such a diverse ecosystem manually is resource-intensive, inconsistent, and inhibits scale.
Why growth slows without modern tech
Insurers relying on outdated systems face several challenges:
Legacy systems vs digital demands – Old infrastructure struggles to integrate with modern partner systems, forcing account teams to handle repetitive manual tasks and delaying administrative processes, which can undermine partner confidence.
Compliance and regulatory pressure – With tightening FCA oversight, GDPR enforcement, and evolving conduct standards, insurers must ensure that every distribution partner remains compliant to avoid financial and reputational damage.
Misaligned partner operations – Intermediaries often use different processes and systems. Without a unifying technology layer, operational misalignment becomes inevitable, stalling engagement and collaboration.
Inconsistent customer and partner experiences – Brokers expect intuitive, digital-first processes. When insurers lack integration, workflows become clunky, response times slow, and partner satisfaction suffers.
Communication gaps – Maintaining alignment on brand messaging, product updates, and compliance across partners with varying digital maturity levels is a persistent challenge.
Commission complexity – Variable, performance-based commissions are difficult to track in outdated systems, leading to disputes, delays, and internal inefficiencies.
The modern answer: Comarch Digital Insurance
To thrive in today’s intermediary-driven environment, insurers need flexible, scalable platforms purpose-built for complex B2B distribution. Comarch Digital Insurance delivers three pillars of success:
Education – Brokers and partners gain real-time access to product materials, regulatory updates, training modules, and quote/illustration tools, eliminating knowledge gaps and boosting confidence.
Control – Centralised oversight of compliance, commission tracking, and partner onboarding ensures every intermediary remains aligned with internal and regulatory expectations.
Communication – Consolidated product messaging, campaign content, and pricing updates keep partners informed, engaged, and consistent in representing the brand.
What modern integration delivers
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Faster time-to-market for products and campaigns
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Lower operational costs through automation
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Increased partner satisfaction and retention
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Enhanced compliance visibility
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Accurate commission management
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Scalable growth across multiple channels
Final thought
The intermediary model remains a core pillar of insurance distribution. To fully leverage its potential, insurers must abandon patchwork legacy systems and manual workflows.
Comarch Digital Insurance provides a proven route to modernisation, enabling smoother partner experiences, stronger compliance, and faster, sustainable growth.
Read the full blog from Comarch here.
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