EmblemHealth is the largest health insurer in New York State, and plans to stay that way. The healthcare company signed customer relationship marketing firm Merkle as its direct agency of record. The two will partner to drive member acquisition and retention for all of EmblemHealth‘s B2B, Individual, and Medicare markets.
“Like all the major health insurers and payers, EmblemHealth is going through quite a bit of change as healthcare reform and state-level exchanges come into effect,” says John Lee, SVP, vertical markets. “In this environment EmblemHealth was looking for an agency that can bring left and right brain together—particularly in addressable, targeted media like DRTV, direct mail, and digital.”
According to Lee, advanced analytics and marketing technology are important to EmblemHealth, which plans to work with Merkle to create a comprehensive marketing data management infrastructure that will improve its ability to target the right members with relevant communications. “EmblemHealth was looking for creative and agency competencies in addition to analytics,” says Lee, who leads Merkle’s industry practices in insurance and wealth management, life sciences, and travel, media, and entertainment. “Our knowledge of the space was also important.”
The insurer aims to take a more customer-centric approach to its business and marketing to create a sustainable competitive advantage. “EmblemHealth was looking for a strategic partner that could help us strengthen our customer-centric approach,” Dave Mahder, VP, marketing and communications, EmblemHealth, said in a statement.
EmblemHealth is a top-25 relationship for Merkle, Lee notes. “It’s a big win for us.”
