Tavis Smiley hosts first On Your Side® Tour stop with Nationwide Insurance
Consumers dialogue around empowerment and control of their own destiny
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2008
Contacts:
Nationwide
Bob Cunningham (614) 249-3091
cunninb1@nationwide.com
The Smiley Group, Inc.
Vanesse Lloyd Vgambati (215) 877-2012
Columbus, Ohio—On Saturday, May 17, people gathered in Columbus to hear Tavis Smiley and learn about ways to empower themselves and enhance their financial future. The event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Columbus was the first stop of a five-city campaign called the On Your Side® Tour with Tavis Smiley. The tour is part of an exclusive partnership between Nationwide Insurance and The Smiley Group.
“Tavis offers a powerful message encouraging individuals to take control
of their life and take
personal responsibility for their financial future,” said James Lyski,
chief marketing officer for
Nationwide. “One of the main purposes of our partnership with Tavis is
to bring community partners together to discuss the need for greater
financial literacy and the empowerment that comes with it. Knowledge is
power and can provide families and individuals of all social economic
backgrounds the keys to a brighter future,” Lyski said.
The event engaged various local community organizations and allowed individuals to participate in workshops designed to help them better understand the role of insurance, the need for strong financial planning, and various other topics. The next tour stop is May 31, 2008 in Raleigh, North Carolina, with additional stops planned for Richmond, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Dallas, Texas.
"We are pleased to launch the five city Nationwide On Your Side tour, says Smiley."The work is important. The conversation is relevant. The tools and resources are available. Nationwide's interest in our continuous efforts, derived from The Covenant, with financial literacy, wealth development and economic empowerment made sense for us to collaborate. Alongside with other community organizations, we planned a day to encourage, enlighten and empower around securing our families."
Both Nationwide and TSG are committed to helping consumers protect their investment and prepare for the future by offering a broad range of insurance and financial service products and solutions.
“This sponsorship gives us an opportunity to connect our brand with a noted community leader and helps us connect with key market segments,” says David Arango, regional vice president of Ohio and West Virginia operations for Nationwide. “Our goal is to foster constructive dialogue and create a better understanding of how proactive financial planning plays a key role in a strong financial future, Arango added.
Tavis Smiley reaches millions of people each week through his daily national programs on PBS and PRI. He uses these media outlets to influence and engage audiences through respectful dialogue, while addressing today’s most pressing issues.
The partnership between Nationwide and TSG also includes sponsorship of Smiley’s PBS television program as a provider of property & casualty insurance products and national sponsorship of the 2009 State of the Black Union event to be held next February in Los Angeles.
About Tavis Smiley and the Tavis Smiley Group
Smiley, who started his career as an aide to the late Los Angeles
mayor Tom Bradley, also offers political commentary twice weekly on the
nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. In addition, he has
authored eleven books. Smiley made publishing history when the book he
edited, the Covenant with Black America reached #1 on the New York Times
bestseller list. His latest is What I Know For Sure: My Story of Growing
up in America (Doubleday). The Smiley Group, Inc. is a communications
corporation established in support of human rights and related
empowerment issues. TSG serves as the holding company for various
enterprises encompassing broadcast and print media, lectures, symposiums
and the Internet. For more information, visit www.tavistalks.com.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest
diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world,
with more than $161 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #108 on the
Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and
financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life,
farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities,
mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and
productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
