You can insure your house, car and business, but what about insuring something far more important to you, namely your relationship with your significant other? In partnership with NetFlorist, Hollard designed the world’s first Relationship Insurance policy. The product was developed based on the insight that men are hard-wired to upset their romantic partners.
When the inevitable happens and a male policyholder does something to upset his romantic partner, a bouquet of beautiful flowers is promptly sent to the offended party to apologise. In what is a first for men, this innovative insurance cover puts them at less of a disadvantage when it comes to relationships.
Dr Eve Longboria, a Margate-based neuro-relationship therapist, recently completed a piece of research comparing the part of the brain associated with risk-taking in men and women and the potential implications of any differences for relationships. This research, recently published in the South Coast Daily Mail, was the catalyst for developing this unique cover.
“Evolution dictated that the risk-taking area, which is found in the cerebellum of the human brain, had to have an ‘off switch’ in men. This is actually so that men could act like fools in life-threatening situations, for example when attacking a woolly mammoth with a rudimentary spear. To override a human being’s natural instinct to consider all of the dangers associated with a particular situation and to make a rational decision, the male brain has to be hot-wired to allow for such irrational decisions. This so-called rationality overrides why men in relationships tend to mess up more often than women,” says Dr Longboria.
When Ryan Bacher, CEO of NetFlorist, heard about Dr Longboria’s research, he immediately saw an opportunity. “As much as 70% of our flower deliveries happen as a result of men having to apologise for something or other. By default, we have become specialists in keeping relationships going. When we read Dr Longboria’s research paper, we came up with an idea for an insurance product that only a fool wouldn’t take out.”
Bacher approached Hollard Insurance, which has something of a reputation for considering unusual risks. “At Hollard, we have always kept innovation at the heart of what we do. We insure the things that people love to ensure that they live their lives to the full, and so it made perfect sense for us to get involved in insuring relationships,” says Stef Theofanidis, MD of Hollard Insurance Partners. “Insurers are often portrayed as uncaring - ensuring that the path of true love actually does run smoothly appealed to our romantic side and gave us an opportunity to challenge that perception.”
How it works:
- Relationship insurance protects men in the very likely event that they upset their partner
- When the inevitable occurs, a bouquet of flowers is sent to their significant other at the insured’s request to ensure smooth sailing in the relationship.
The cover is extensive and includes incidents such as:
- Forgetting a wedding anniversary
- Driving over a significant other’s favourite cat
- Calling a partner the wrong name
- Waking up a significant other at 3 am while drunkenly entertaining newly-made friends from a nightclub with a dodgy clientele
There are also several additional benefits, including:
- Third-party liability cover, which pays to repair relationships with in-laws or partner’s girlfriends.
- The “Seven-year itch” benefit, which doubles cover when a relationship enters its seventh year.
Monthly Premiums are determined according to risk profile, with the three profiles available being:
- Mr ADHD – for men prone to the occasional lapse in concentration, this is the lowest risk profile.
- Mr Rubber Arm- covers men unable to resist the call to stay for “just one MORE drink”.
- Mr General Rogue- the highest risk profile, this category is reserved for men who spend more time on the couch than in their partner's bed.
