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Meaningful Marketing Connects with Consumers

Posted on: January 28th, 2015 by New Benefits Blog

khoffmanAs VP of Marketing for New Benefits, I’ve seen first-hand what type of marketing materials deliver results and which ones fall flat. I don’t always get to meet with every New Benefits client, but if I could my one piece of advice would be: Connect with your audience.  

Up Close & Personal

According to a recent study[1], 70% of marketers failed to deliver quantifiable results in 2013. Yikes! That’s a disturbing statistic. One thing I’ve learned in my 13 years at New Benefits is how personalizing your message can make a difference in the success of a marketing piece.

In other words, if you want to grab your audience’s attention, you have to know what motivates them to pause and listen. Not only does the end user need to understand what is included in your non-insured benefits package—they also need to know why they can’t live without it.

Feel their Pain

Non-insured benefits are not mainstream, which means generic descriptions simply don’t work for business-to-consumer marketing pieces. To create an effective marketing piece, you have to address the audience’s pain points. Put their problems in the spotlight and make them squirm a little. Just as they start to feel uncomfortable, offer the cure. Explain how non-insured benefits will relieve their pain.

For example, most marketing pieces describe our product Teladoc like this:

 With Teladoc, members have access to a board-certified doctor either by phone or video consultation.

That’s some dry stuff. Why not make it more personal? Paint a picture for the audience by explaining how Teladoc can save them valuable time and worry when their child comes down with a bad cold. Instead of missing work and driving across town to the doctor’s office, the concerned parent can pick up a phone and describe their child’s symptoms to a Teladoc doctor for a diagnosis and prescription, if necessary. Phew, major headache averted! Isn’t this benefit the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Another example is describing Roadside Assistance as “24/7 roadside assistance.” Instead ask the question, “Have you ever been stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire?” and then offer the solution. This question addresses a common pain point for consumers instead of generically describing the benefit without any context.

Maximize Your Marketing

If you want to drive your marketing to the next level, you have to get personal. If the consumer can’t identify with a message, they won’t understand or want this product. Ask yourself if a consumer will read the piece and say, “I need this!” If the answer is no—it’s back to the drawing board.

– Kenda Hoffman, VP of Marketing

Copyright © 2014 by New Benefits, Ltd.  All rights reserved.

[1] Source: The Fournaise Marketing Group’s 2013 Global Marketing Effectiveness Program study