The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is launching an consumer education campaign to give Canadians the information they need to properly protect themselves and their possessions.

At the same time, IBC is providing free, downloadable software to help homeowners and tenants create a home inventory for insurance purposes.

The Web-based campaign is based on the findings of a comprehensive survey by Pollara that discovered what consumers know and don’t know about insurance.

“Part of the challenge was to make consumers want to know more about insurance. So this campaign takes an entertaining approach and is designed to give Canadians the information they want, when they want it, through a new section of the IBC website. We really want to engage consumers in an interactive way, so we will not be relying on less engaging information vehicles, such as brochures,” says Mary Lou O’Reilly, vp, public affairs and marketing, IBC.

The poll also revealed that many Canadians don’t know how much they have to lose when it comes to their possessions. It found that 95% of Canadians think it is important to create a personal inventory of possessions for insurance purposes, but only 35% report that they actually have such an inventory.

In response to these findings, IBC is helping Canadians get a handle on their possessions with free, downloadable home-inventory software called, “Know Your Stuff.” It is now available to consumers at no charge on IBC’s Web site.

The home inventory is just one part of the major national campaign IBC launched at a media conference today. The theme of the web-based campaign is “If you want to know, here’s where to go. ibc.ca.” The campaign includes TV and radio ads designed to pique consumer curiosity and direct them to the Web site where they can find out what they want to know about insurance.

IBC is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent nearly 95% of the property and casualty insurance market in Canada.