Intact Insurance has renewed its Magenta-level sponsorship of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada's (IBAC) Broker Identity Program (BIP).
The sponsorship funds the BIP's national advertising campaign, which positions brokers as essential advisers offering choice, expertise and advocacy to insurance buyers. It also supports IBAC initiatives including technology leadership, professional development of the broker workforce, and federal advocacy to maintain the separation of banking and insurance.
The Broker Identity Program was launched in 1988 directly in response to federal government proposals to allow banks to sell insurance, with IBAC establishing the campaign to highlight the risks that bank entry into the insurance market would pose to consumers, competition and the sustainability of the broker channel. More than 35 years later, the separation of banking and insurance remains a live policy debate and IBAC's advocacy on the issue continues to be a central pillar of the program.
Louis Gagnon, chief executive officer of Intact Canada, said the renewal reflected the insurer's commitment to brokers and to ensuring customers understand their options.
"Ensuring customers understand their insurance coverage and their options has never been more important, and the role of brokers here is key. Our relationships with brokers are an essential part of how we deliver exceptional customer service together," he said.
Meanwhile, IBAC CEO Peter Braid said Intact's continued investment speaks to its commitment to Canadian consumers. "By supporting brokers, Intact helps to ensure that customers have the advice and support they need to be confident in their insurance decisions, and are protected when they need it most," he said.
The renewal carries commercial as well as symbolic weight.
Brokers and independent agents held approximately 58% of Canada's P&C insurance distribution market in 2025, making the broker channel the dominant route to market by a significant margin, but direct channels are growing at a 5.12% CAGR as digital adoption accelerates. That trajectory makes the case for sustained investment in broker brand awareness more pressing, not less.
The broker channel is central to Intact's Canadian business model. The company distributes primarily through brokers under the Intact Insurance brand while also operating the direct-to-consumer belairdirect platform.
Intact reported more than $17 billion in total insurance revenue in 2025 and held a 15.4% share of Canada's P&C market in 2024, well ahead of the next closest competitor.
Other current BIP full partners include Wawanesa, Economical Insurance, Wynward Insurance Group, Unica Insurance, HSB Canada, Portage Mutual and Red River Mutual.
IBAC's 2026 public education campaigns are built around two themes: promoting the value of brokers, and addressing the talent and natural catastrophe challenges facing the industry, with advertising designed to demonstrate to consumers and policymakers that the insurance system depends on the broker channel functioning effectively.
That messaging is being tested by a shifting distribution landscape. Embedded insurance, or those products integrated directly into third-party purchasing journeys, is growing in Canada and represents a structural shift in how consumers encounter insurance, potentially bypassing the broker relationship entirely.
Canada's regulatory framework is also evolving, with KPMG's 2026 Insurance Trends Outlook noting that the country's regulator is modernizing the MGA framework, placing sharper expectations on training, suitability, oversight and accountability as MGAs increasingly shape customer experiences.
As MGA-distributed products grow their share, the distinction between broker and non-broker advice becomes an increasingly important consumer education challenge.
