Case Study #2:

Launching a New Benefit Program

Client:	A major, national medical benefits carrier.
Assignment:	Assist in the roll-out of a new Consumer Directed Health Plan and tailor the effort to address the needs of a major client’s pilot program.
Challenges:	Timing, conversion of created media to an electronic format, quick development of an effective message describing a radically new concept.

A major, national medical benefits provider approached BeneCom seeking communication assistance in rolling out their new Consumer Directed Health Plan product to a new, nationally-known foods customer.

The customer wanted to field-test the new CDHP program among a select 950-life group of salaried employees in its mid-western home office. If the test proved the plan could control health care costs, it would be offered to the rest of the population the following year. The client also wanted to test the carrier’s ability to effectively communicate this highly unusual approach to employees via its intranet.

For the carrier, acceptance of the program by the customer’s employees was a litmus test for its CDHP approach. This meant that the program’s intricacies had to be communicated clearly and effectively to the test group. Also, given the limited timeframe imposed by the customer – five weeks, start to finish – the carrier viewed execution of the campaign as a critical component needed to maintain their customer’s confidence in their ability to deliver.

Solution

Working closely with the carrier’s California-based Manager for Marketing Communications, Chicago-based sales representative and mid-Western graphics department, BeneCom developed a scripted video with actors and graphics that could be converted into the Intranet application. In addition to the normal demands of video production, development required BeneCom to meld information into the presentation from the carrier’s print collaterals, various sales presentations and the carrier’s website, all while adhering to the carrier’s strict branding requirements.

Results

The video, converted to a CD format, was completed on schedule and delivered to the customer in time for their open enrollment campaign. Although enrollment was less than hoped, employees cited plan design features, not the communication effort, as the reason for less-than-expected participation. Consequently, the carrier continued to use the CD in other enrollment campaigns conducted that year, and the customer rolled out a revised CDHP in year 2.