For years, you have been conducting productive marketing campaigns. Then, slowly, you begin to see a change in the key performance indicators (KPIs). Email open and click-through rates are nudging downward. Digital ads generate some momentum at first when a new creative is launched, but results falter more quickly than in previous years. Even more noticeable: leads are dropping. Why have your once-successful marketing and advertising strategies lost their magic?
Have you considered that, from the 30,000-foot view of your target consumers, your brand may not be resonating with them? In other words, your marketing messages may not be breaking through.
Here at Seapoint Digital, we’ve seen this play out firsthand. One long-standing client, a physician-focused insurance agency, was beginning to experience the same challenge.
Facing a Generational Shift
Year after year, older member physicians were retiring. This led to a shift in the generations that made up the majority of members. Our marketing had performed well with Boomers. But now most of our audience are Millennials. Their views on association membership, attitudes toward insurance, time spent online, and how they consumed digital media were significantly different.
To be successful marketers, we needed a clearer understanding of our target audience, what would appeal to them, how to earn their attention, and the best way to present it. What we learned about Millennials was revealing:
- Born between 1980 and 1995, they are the largest generation in the U.S. workforce
- Challenge traditional sales and marketing approaches
- Digital natives who expect content that’s on-demand, flexible, and engaging
- See online life as the norm, but are wary of scams and misinformation
- Over 90% prefer brands aligned with a cause, and 70% want to spend more on ethical products (Cone Communications Millennial CSR Study)
- Value authenticity and seek brands they can trust
With these insights, we redefined the brand message so that members would see how they personally benefit when they secure insurance from our client.
Shaping a Stronger Brand Message
In the past, our marketing efforts have stated that our client gave back to their members, but we never fully explained what that meant or how it set them apart from competitors.
This is what makes them different. Our client collects premiums just like other insurance companies. However, after claims are paid, without shareholders to satisfy, surplus funds are directed back into programs that benefit physicians. We now highlight these programs so members can see how they personally benefit when they choose coverage from our client. Millennials want to support brands that align with their values and causes they believe in. Our client’s brand is one they can trust because it invests in the ultimate cause: them.
Reaching Members in New Ways
To build more awareness for this reinvestment approach, we branded it and promoted it to the new generation of physicians. Our objective was to strengthen recognition and value for the brand in a way that set it apart from other insurance agencies in the minds of the target audience.
In response to our research, we also expanded the ways our audience could consume marketing messages. We now produce more video ads and have implemented an audio option on our blog, allowing busy physicians to choose to listen to articles instead of reading them. Both of these additions have already helped improve results.
Marketing Insight
When confronted with a marketing challenge, it’s helpful to take a step back and reevaluate your situation. In this case, it allowed us to define a better, smarter way forward.
Seapoint Digital is dedicated to helping our clients adopt a thoughtful approach, tailoring their marketing to resonate with today’s audiences while staying true to their core values. We’re committed to building stronger connections, and we’d welcome the chance to do the same for you.
