As New Zealand’s largest health insurer and as a not-for-profit Friendly Society, Southern Cross had unique strengths. On the back of COVID there was a huge opportunity to leverage the elevated importance of health and wellbeing, and reignite growth.
The marketing team had a remit to:
• Increase net member growth
• Create unassailable market leadership by becoming more relevant to New Zealanders – unlocking a sleeping giant.
This called for not only a new strategy but new creative and insights partners, who along with the existing media partner would form a core team with Southern Cross. TRA was appointed research partner.
Core to our relationship is an ongoing brand tracking monitor that feeds into brand and communications planning, optimisation and evaluation. Southern Cross leverages the full spectrum of TRA capability including cultural insight, innovation, and communications development.
Two years into the relationship Southern Cross knows New Zealanders better than ever, and has been able to use this knowledge to grow its membership to a 30 year high time high, up 6% to 940,000 in 2023. Communications are performing well above New Zealand norms, and the brand is becoming more and more relevant to all Kiwis.