In 2018, RGAX published the Digital Distribution Strategy Survey of small-to-medium-sized U.S. insurers, uncovering the industry trends and pressures that have arisen as digital insurance providers and incumbents move to offer more products and processes entirely online. Despite the clear trends and a high degree of awareness, 64% reported “little/some” overall capabilities in digital marketing while 11% noted those capabilities were “non-existent.”
Online markets continue to grow, creating many opportunities for insurance companies of all sizes to take advantage of better targeting, better data, and more digital distribution touchpoints for their clients and customers.
The trends aren’t slowing down, as consumers become more comfortable and therefore more eager to discover and purchase insurance products online. According to The State of Digital Insurance 2019 report from Forrester, 32% of U.S. life insurance buyers discovered insurance products online, but only 11% of U.S. life insurance buyers use insurance agents as a source of research.
Navigating Change in the Insurance Industry
Digital distribution isn’t reserved for reaching Millennials anymore. In fact, it’s a critical tool for accessing multiple markets. The digital revolution has impacted the communication and consumption preferences of people of all ages. Our research has shown that the use of social media and search engines for transferring and learning news is actually one of the primary methods Baby Boomers use to educate themselves about a product. Leaving digital out of your marketing and sales strategy is leaving out a big opportunity to reach new and current clients.
RGAX's Digital Distribution team works with insurance organizations to respond to these shifts in consumer behavior and industry challenges. By capitalizing on digital trends, carriers can create or adapt products to make stronger connections with existing clients and reach new clients who prefer to engage online. The insurance organizations we’re working with are pushing boundaries and making history as some of the first in the industry to bring full, end-to-end digital strategies and products to market.
Bringing End-of-Life Insurance Online with Sagicor
Over the past year, we’ve teamed up with Sagicor Life Insurance Company (Sagicor) — part of Sagicor Financial Corporation Limited, one of the oldest insurers in the Americas with over 175 years of high integrity and quality service. While Sagicor is rooted in a strong community legacy, they are also leading the way with a forward-thinking, collaborative, and strategic approach to the future of insurance.
To offer more flexible options for clients, Sagicor and RGAX teamed up to create one of the first end-to-end digital options for clients to access and purchase end-of-life insurance entirely online. The result is Peace Assured, a final expense whole life insurance product that combines three different products into one (level, modified, graded). Uniting expertise in digital marketing and user experience, RGAX and Sagicor created Peace Assured to enhance and expand Sagicor’s product offering, ushering in a new era of digital engagement for the company.
Bringing Peace Assured from Idea to Market Product
RGAX worked closely with Sagicor and RGA’s U.S. Mortality Markets (USMM) team to develop the Peace Assured product. To begin, we performed extensive user testing research to understand key insights and pain points that clients were facing with final expense products. In addition, several personas were developed to embody the most common client personality types, motivations, concerns, and desires to help us frame out the marketing strategy.
Once we had a solid foundation of knowledge and research, we developed a fully customized marketing strategy including asset development and execution for Peace Assured. Key elements of the strategy included:
- Brand logo and style guide
- Ads and landing pages
- Automated contact nurturing strategy using emails and SMS
- Website
- Educational pages
- Downloadables (e-book and infographic)
- Quote engine
- eApplication, including natural language for the application questions
Cohesive asset design
The assets were all designed to work together for creating a deliberate user journey that targets the right users, at the right times, and on the right platforms. This strategic approach and cohesive asset development ensures that prospects’ first encounter with Peace Assured complements their experience at the third, fourth, or fifth touchpoint before becoming a client.
The strategy supports agents and carriers forced to find new ways to sell their insurance products without necessitating internal expertise or added bandwidth as they face additional pressures and competition. The Peace Assured user journey was designed to align with existing Sagicor processes and create a seamless link between traditional and newly integrated channels. Plus, providing a completely online digital journey for clients gives them the ability to apply for life insurance in the comfort of their own home when it’s convenient for their busy schedules.
Begin Your Digital Distribution Journey
With RGA and RGAX’s extensive experience in digital marketing, testing, and established capabilities in Data and Analytics, USMM, and more, we can offer a fully tailored approach which provides a truly end-to-end solution for clients based on their specific individual needs.
