Smartphones, social media, tablets, e-readers, web apps and mobile barcodes are just a few of the emerging technologies brands are exploring in 2011 in hopes of reaching new (and often younger) consumers. For product-based brands like Target or Nike, incorporating your brand into the digital world easily generates higher levels of brand engagement. But other more serious products like health insurance can also reap rewards from emerging media.
An article last week in the Minneapolis Star Tribune showcased Medica Insurance’s new marketing aimed at reaching younger, non-traditional families and couples needing health insurance. By utilizing imagery of their target audience and QR codes in their ads, Medica is bridging the gap between what’s cool with consumers and what health insurance has to offer.
With Nielsen projecting smartphones to reach equal levels of saturation with that of standard phones in 2011, it’s a smart move for health insurers to look into not only utilizing mobile marketing tools like QR codes or augmented reality, but getting on mobile devices, as well. Last year, Pew Research found that 43 percent of cell phone users had apps on their phones. This number will undoubtedly increase over the next year as more and more consumers opt for new smartphones.
With healthcare reform continuing to take shape on a state-by-state basis, health insurance marketers now have an opportunity to reach niche audiences they may have never considered before. By utilizing tools that not only resonate with the target audience, but also help create greater interaction with one’s brand, health insurers will enter a new realm of consumer engagement and connection with their key audiences’ wants and needs.
*image courtesy Minneapolis Star Tribune
