3 ways CMOs can help insurers be more consumer-centric

Chief marketing officers are critical to insurance companies that want to be more consumer-driven and focused. Particularly as consumers begin taking control of their relationship with insurers' brands, CMOs are in a position to optimize and redefine their companies into an efficient marketing operating system, according to a blog post from Forrester Research.

Forrester suggests that CMOs take three steps to help companies transform their business:

1. Deliver seamless experiences: Consumers now expect a unified, seamless experience from each company--whether in person, on the phone or through mobile devices.

Insurers can achieve an integrated consumer experience by making their business fit into their consumers' lives rather than forcing consumers to adjust and accommodate the insurance business, Tom Paul, chief consumer officer at UnitedHealth, previously told FierceHealthPayer.

Likewise, Anne Olderog, partner at brand consulting firm Vivaldi Partners Group, believes that CMOs can help their companies be more relevant for consumers by implementing technology that enables personalized approaches, Business News Daily reported.

2. Reward collaboration: Insurers can facilitate collaboration throughout their companies by sharing insights and best practices across departments. Since marketing is becoming an increasingly collaborative field, the CMO must ensure that all employees involved in marketing operations have access to data and analytics, noted the Business News Daily.

That also means there is a clear company-wide message that is communicated across all channels, so that, for example, customer service reps provide the same message as marketing materials.

At St. Mary's Health Plans, the company believes that all employees must be able to provide consumers with access to the right information at the right time, FierceHealthPayer previously reported.

3. Deliver content across multiple channels: Insurers should be providing valuable, contextually relevant content for consumers while delivering its messages seamlessly across multiple channels. That means building a brand across print, TV and online advertising as well as making use of social media platforms.

Increased social engagement via accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube can help insurers connect directly with their members. 

To learn more:
- read the Forrester blog post
- see the Business News Daily article