Storytelling for a Competitive Advantage

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Category: B2C

Type: Acquisition 

Channel: Direct Mail, FSIs, Newspaper

Industry: Healthcare

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Challenge:

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For 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule change dictated that Health Net of New England was not going to be able to compete on price as they had in previous years. Instead, Health Net was forced to compete on value and overall service. This presented a potential marketing disadvantage. Since over 80% of Health Net’s membership came from the Annual Election Period (October 15 to December 7), it was critical for them to meet their enrollment goal.

 

Solution:

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We recommended a consultative sell approach leveraging existing testimonials and approved case studies. This would allow us to humanize the brand as well as demonstrate the value of Medigap coverage. Our idea was to match the member’s testimonial with the caregiver’s testimonial to create a compelling story.

 

Using existing resources allowed for quick execution and a substantial production savings benefit. The campaign consisted of four different direct mail drops along with FSIs and newspaper ads. Our primary goal was to build brand awareness of Health Net plans and drive prospects to attend an informational seminar or schedule an at-home consultation.

 

Result:

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Despite not being able to compete on price, Health Net was able to meet its enrollment goals for 2009—and at nearly a 10% lower cost per acquisition than the previous year.

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