PDA Q&A: Soon Hagerty

Soon Hagerty is the senior vice president of brand at Hagerty, the Traverse City-based automotive lifestyle and specialty insurance brand.
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Soon Hagerty // Courtesy of Hagerty Media
Soon Hagerty // Courtesy of Hagerty Media

DB: Where are you?

SH: At a lovely boutique hotel in Greenwich, Conn., for the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. We (Hagerty) took over the show two years ago. On Sunday, for the main event, there will be 142 classic vehicles on display, along with other activities.

DB: How long have you been with Hagerty?

SH: I’ve been a consultant for 20 years with Hagerty. I started a public relations agency when I was 23 years old called Luxe Communications, and through that company and other activities we represented high-end clients. Eleven years ago, I joined Hagerty full time.

DB: How have you evolved Hagerty’s branding?

SH: When I first started consulting, we wanted to expand Hagerty’s niche beyond insurance to build value around data and become a lifestyle brand. Today, we focus on the ownership of collector cars, and that it’s really fun.

DB: How is the Detroit Concours d’Elegance coming along?

LH: We knew the minute we acquired (the event) we wanted to move it to Detroit, and we were very purposeful in how we did that. Detroit built America, and we want to help tell that story through classic cars. It won’t be just one location (the Detroit Institute of Arts, Sept. 16-18). For example, on that Saturday (Sept. 17), we’ll be using Comerica Park for a Cars and Coffee event.

DB: How’s the restaurant doing?

LH: We’re celebrating the fourth anniversary of The Good Bowl in Traverse City. I love Vietnamese food, so I created a business plan for a restaurant where we would donate $1 for every bowl we served. Through my lawyer, we found Chef Tony Vu.