History
The story of Sampo began in 1909. This brief history of Sampo encapsulates all of the relevant milestones of Sampo Group - from the early years prior to Finland’s independence right through to the present day.
The decade of motorization also brought with it the first traffic jams! Sampo was soon on the way to insuring all motor vehicles - from tractors all the way through to mopeds. At the same time, the insurance industry was the talk of the town all over Finland.
Transporting the first computers to the Sampo office was a demanding task.
1962
This was the year that Sampo's headquarters leased its firs computer - the IBM 1401.
"By settling your claims, Sampo makes your life safe". This was the Sampo slogan from its first television commercial in 1962.
The marketing buzz of insurance companies was not the result of new, exciting mass communication devices. It was instead due to the common increased interest towards insurance business in the 1960s. The relevance of insurance companies became stronger during the war years and there was a new wish to nationalize the business branch and its profits.
The pressure to develop the insurance field led to business mergers among insurance companies towards the end of the decade. In 1967, Sampo merged with Kaupunkien Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö, which was one of the oldest insurance companies in the country.
The 1960s were also a time of shaping the welfare society. Older people had more security following the employee pension act and the national pension and the maternity allowance was launched. Furthermore, a law was passed to secure medical insurance. Saturdays were no longer classified as working days and Sampo employees had their first summer Saturdays off in 1966. By 1968, they no longer had to work on Saturdays at all.
The decade of motorization also saw the first traffic jams. A new traffic insurance act was introduced in 1960 which required all motor vehicles from mopeds to tractors to be insured when on the road.
Sampo focused on traffic and the company's most important products became the motor liability insurance and voluntary comprehensive motor insurance. Insuring motor vehicles became a diverse range of business: For instance, a sobriety discount on the traffic insurance was offered from 1961 to 1968. This involved insurance being provided at a reduced rate for those car owners who declared they never drink alcohol.