AIA and Water’s Edge leverage data-driven insights for enhanced customer protection

This post is sponsored by Water’s Edge.

Traffic accident rates are continually on the rise. Between 2015 and 2018, personal mobility device (PMD) related accidents alone increased by 1200%.

Before the eventual PMD ban in 2019, the sentiments on the ground were overwhelming. To the man on the street (or on the road), that translated to a reduced sense of safety – often without a corresponding increase in personal protection.

In light of this widespread predicament, AIA Singapore teamed up with integrated advertising agency Water’s Edge to help existing customers bridge their personal accident (PA) protection gap, as part of a campaign to celebrate the insurer’s 100th year in Asia.

On the back of deep consumer insights, as well as hours of methodical planning and nimble execution, the wheels were set into motion.

Strength in numbers

To get to the heart of the problem, AIA first needed to analyse and understand its customers’ pain points. With a wealth of data on hand, several facts soon became very apparent. First off, the people who most required protection, such as those involved in labour-intensive operations, were often ineligible for the very PA plans they desired.

Against a backdrop of high-profile accidents in 2019, in-depth research was also conducted, leading to the discovery that 77% of existing customers were more likely to purchase a PA plan for the purpose of protecting themselves against:

• Public/private transport accidents (81%).
• PMD accidents (53%).
• In-flight accidents (51%).

Equipped with these strategic learnings, it then came down to a joint and concerted effort to establish the product features and creative messaging so customers would get the green light towards having their needs met.

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Consumer-focused PA protection hits the road

Keeping consumer preferences top-of-mind, AIA launched PA100, a low-cost, high-coverage PA plan that caters exclusively to existing AIA customers. What set the plan apart was the accidental death protection at standard premium amounts for all ages and occupation classes – NSmen, drivers, electricians and housewives no longer had to feel left out when it came to enjoying adequate PA coverage.

Complementing the comprehensively mapped-out strategy was a campaign concept that dovetailed perfectly, as diligent number crunching met artful creative finessing.

Based on the premise that it is often family that has to bear the burden when the unexpected happens, campaign visuals were designed to reflect the idea of all-round family protection.

Instead of the usual heartwarming human-skewed images, protective gear related to work, sports and commuting were stylised in a quirky, attention-grabbing manner, along with a benefit-centric headline to front all communications.

More than just a multi-pronged targeted approach in reaching out to customers, AIA also engaged the younger, more digital-savvy demographic through web banners and lead-generation posts that directed users to the AIA website.

In particular, social media posts addressed the different occupations and activities for which customers may require a PA plan, using a blend of deft copywriting and audience segmentation. Customers, who were less digitally savvy, were also not forgotten, with a personalised direct mailer sent to each to encourage sign-ups.

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Taking the fast lane to better results

In the end, both the client and agency’s efforts yielded a great degree of success, resulting in a proud win at Marketing Excellence Awards 2019.

Lead-generation and web conversion ads drew in an overwhelming number of leads, while the display campaign enjoyed a more than 200% increase in click-through-rates against the industry average.

Even cold customers were successfully re-engaged, with more than 30% of customers who purchased the plan being cold leads.

Overall, PA100 enabled around 10,000 customers to bridge their PA coverage gap, with more than half of them opting for a higher coverage option. All of which helped reinforce AIA’s brand promise of helping customers lead healthier, longer and better lives.

Current results are from 23 May to 13 August 2019.