Blue Cross Blue Shield Success Story

As consumers, we are in control of our own healthcare, financial, commerce decisions and brand interactions. From picking insurers, to finding providers, to choosing the right gift for our loved ones we now decide how, when and what channel we engage in conversation. It should be no surprise then, that the focus in marketing is finally shifting from Marketing Communications (the art of it) to Marketing Technology (the science of it). The need to better understand how to apply data science to more precisely target and respond to customer needs, better track effectiveness and show return on marketing investment has become a top priority. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBS-MI) historically relied on a one size fits all communication path for all its members without the ability to easily respond to communication preferences. Learn how Angela Dunbar, Marketing Manager at BCBS-MI partnered with Salesforce Marketing Cloud and PFL (AppExchange Partner) to deliver a more connected and thoughtful member experience by triggering email or print communications based on known demographic attributes, behavior and preferences. BCBS-MI needed an airtight solution for keeping their field communication brand compliant, their security standards met and a solution for automating their direct-mail efforts. A partnership with PFL’s Tactile Marketing Automation® (TMA®) solution helped them to not only create welcome kits — that were both brand and HIPAA compliant — as well as direct mail communication, but also allowed them to reach out to non-digital customers. BCBS-MI set out to reduce the amount of time needed to send required email notices. They acquired Marketing Cloud with intent to automate existing direct mail messaging across customer journeys. They needed to ensure that they could provide an alternative method of communication to the community members when an email bounces, or additional information is missing. Typically, the welcome and onboarding journey starts with a prospect who’s interested in getting more information about BCBS-MI’s insurance plans. The sooner they can get those materials into a prospect’s hands the better, since the kit is the first touchpoint in their customer experience. BCBS-MI must send out certain pieces of information within a strict time frame in order to stay compliant with federal, state and local regulations. Those time requirements extend beyond communication and into general fulfillment as well. A “summary of benefit coverage” has to be sent out within seven business days. Previously, those pieces were being sent out through a cumbersome, siloed process as a file transfer to a print vendor. Using Tactile Marketing Automation allowed BCBS-MI to know exactly when pieces were sent and received. Through Salesforce Marketing Cloud and TMA, BCBS-MI has timestamps and visibility they didn’t have before. Today, everything is handled straight out of Salesforce, shattering their previously siloed process. BCBS-MI used PFL’s TMA solution to automate all existing direct mail campaigns, including annual notices, welcome kits and renewal notices. With TMA’s Salesforce Marketing Cloud integration, BCBS-MI honored member channel preferences, automatically. BCBS-MI set out to reduce the amount of time needed to send those emails, but the direct mail component of TMA allowed them to reach customers who don’t have an email or prefer to be communicated to through mail. The backend fulfillment of TMA allowed them to do this seamlessly, while remaining HIPAA compliant. Today, BCBS-MI has a more efficient marketing process. They now have a 360-degree view of when materials were shipped and received by the prospect. Knowing when materials have been shipped and delivered is a key component in staying compliant in the industry.

• Met all security and HIPAA requirements more efficiently.
• Increased reach and engagement with members who don’t have email address on file, or who don’t respond to digital communications.
• Merged digital and direct mail workflows for improved efficiency and compliance.
• The fulfillment of printed materials was streamlined, allowing BCBS-MI to send direct mail when email information was missing from customer data, or when emails bounced.
• Added highly personalized direct mail into their digital strategy through Tactile Marketing Automation.
• Optimized print spend by better understanding individual channel preferences, ensuring you only mail to those likely to respond.
• Built 1:1 highly personalized print journeys at scale – most traditional printers can’t support the promise of an “audience of one” that Journey Builder makes possible.