Controlling the Narrative: The Value of Supplemental Benefits 

American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI)

The Ask 

Shift stakeholder perceptions around supplemental benefits. 

Throughout the country, many families and individuals know all too well the burden of unexpected medical costs. When life takes a sudden turn, Americans should not have to choose between managing the crisis and protecting their savings. Supplemental Benefits are the safeguards employers and households need, yet they were broadly referred to as “junk insurance.”  

The American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) needed to educate and engage employers and policymakers on the value of supplemental benefits, shifting their perception of these benefits so every American can be prepared for the unexpected. 

Strategic Approach 

Reach key audiences through social media, framing supplemental benefits as complementary to insurance. 

ACLI reached policymakers, regulators and employees directly through Completing Life’s Puzzle, a digital campaign utilizing paid content on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and corresponding organic content on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The team employed family-centered messaging by positioning supplemental benefits as a solution to alleviate financial stress, along with messaging that highlighted the value of allowing employers to offer supplemental benefits to their employees. Both paid and organic content drove users to the supplemental benefits advocacy webpage where they could learn more about this call to action.  

Throughout the campaign, Adfero employed a variety of additional tactics to further visibility among policymakers and those who influence them, including sharing timely news articles and relevant partner resources, utilizing key moments from ACLI members to amplify insights and increase engagement, optimizing content using hashtags and specific keywords, and developing an assortment of creatives that included both illustrations and stock photography.

Impact 

Key audiences embrace the value of supplemental benefits. 

Adfero’s strategic planning and execution resulted in a 90% increase in monthly pageviews in the first six months. The campaign allowed ACLI to successfully curb the narrative and reach and engage target audiences, driving home the value these benefits bring families, employers and employees. In addition to above-benchmark performance on social channels, organic and paid content across channels drove the ACLI’s supplemental benefits webpage to experience a 90% increase in monthly pageviews in the first six months of the campaign as well as less “junk insurance” language usage among policymakers.

ACLI social posts on mobile