There is no subject more difficult in life to discuss than the death of a loved one.
Prudential Insurance is trying to turn a painful process of mourning the people who have passed a little easier with the introduction of a film series that explores love, loss, recovery and celebrates life, art and the regenerative power of the human spirit.
Masterpiece of Love is a Prudential-commissioned long-form film series that delves into the lives and heart-wrenching stories of four real policyholders who have endured personal losses. The stories are then transformed by four different artists who turn the stories of the survivors into unique works of art. The series that celebrates love appropriately commenced on Valentine’s Day. Each installment is about 20 minutes long and supports Prudential’s individual life-insurance policy business.
Gail Van Dalen, chief marketing officer at Prudential Individual Life Insurance, joined [a]listdaily to discuss why the financial services corporation is talking about death through an in-house artistic advertising series, and why the sensitive campaign was a difficult discussion that needed to take place.
Why was it important to launch this long-form video series? What is the story Prudential is trying to tell with Masterpiece of Love?
Prudential Individual Life Insurance, through its new campaign Masterpiece of Love, delves into emotional storytelling about the legacy our loved ones have left to us, and the legacy we want to leave behind to those we love. This is what our business is all about. We do more than sell insurance policies. We help people leave a legacy for their loved ones through life insurance. We provide financial assistance that helps people get through difficult times and keep moving forward in life. While the long-form film series format may be new for us, the message is closely aligned with Prudential’s purpose and legacy of helping people achieve financial security for 140 years.
Consumers have to confront mortality when considering life insurance, but these films celebrate life through art. Why are you now talking about death directly?
The film series features interviews with people who describe significant personal losses that changed their lives. But that is not the end of their stories. Next, we shared some personal items that hold great meaning with artists, who then created works of art based on the pieces. These interactions spark deep, meaningful conversations about not only the people who have died, but also the loved ones who are honoring their legacy. Life insurance is more about love and life, than death. And we can’t be afraid to have the real conversations about how people feel when they experience loss. It’s in these real conversations that we can help carry on the legacy that our loved ones have created for us and weave in our own beautiful story. The real stories of the survivors and how their lives have changed because of their loss gives meaning to life insurance. By embracing this, we give greater meaning to what we do.
What are your previous learnings with an inspirational marketing campaign? How are consumers responding to your brand-as-publisher initiative?
Masterpiece of Love grew out of some social media posts we did last fall during Life Insurance Awareness Month. We saw tremendous engagement and response when we provided people a forum to talk about loved ones they had lost. We felt like we had struck a nerve and were providing a very powerful experience. And so the Masterpiece of Love campaign goes beyond the film series. We have also created an interactive, social sharing space where people can create their own works of art to honor those they’ve lost. Specifically, people can upload a picture of somebody they love who has died and add a brief story about their life. The picture is treated in an artistic way. And readers are responding—people have shared powerful, inspirational stories.
What is going to be Prudential’s social media and influencer marketing campaign strategy to promote the series and microsite?
Masterpiece of Love is being promoted through an integrated plan including earned media, employee communications, content partners, paid content distribution and search, and a robust social media activation plan, as well as several non-traditional tactics, like an exhibit and reception at the Newark Museum that unveiled the completed artwork. Prudential is leveraging Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram for both consumer and B2B audiences to encourage consumers to visit the website to view the films and share their own stories of love and loss as part of a larger digital story. Our content partner Upworthy contributed four original stories, released weekly on their website. The film content is also being distributed via YouTube, the Visible Measures network of sites, and Outbrain. Trailers promoting the series have run in more than 40 theater chains affiliated with America’s Movie Network, the largest in-cinema media company in the United States. And as part of that experience, theatergoers can Shazam-enable the 60-second video to link to two full-length shorts.
Why is branded content currently in favor over traditional ads? Why does that kind of content outperform traditional pre-roll ads?
Branded content focuses on the customer’s needs and wants. Through stories, we can deliver valuable information and hopefully inspire new thoughts or actions. When consumers are ready it is still critical that we clearly explain the value of working with Prudential and the products, services and legacy of care that we provide. But branded content allows us to start with a focus on the consumer, instead of ourselves.
What emerging trends are you zeroing in on in order to explore and innovate the Prudential brand?
Customer experience has been and will continue to be a key focus for individual life as well as for the other businesses of Prudential. We are focused on meeting consumers where they are at and providing first-class service to help them make the best decisions for their situation.
Is there a new product or service that you think will influence future decisions?
We are always seeking to position life insurance as a key component of an overall financial plan. Now we are seeking to make it relevant, and less of a commodity. Continuing to understand the needs of consumers throughout their lifetime assists us with offering solutions to meet their needs.
What is the number one emerging trend for marketers in the insurance field this year?
Life insurance, by its nature, is deeply individualized, so the key to marketing is to reflect that individuality, to meet a prospective customer how, when and where they are to demonstrate that we can address their specific needs with our solutions. Continuing to focus on the consumer first in our conversations and striving for a deeper understanding of their needs will provide us with the ability to offer solutions throughout their lifetime versus leading with a sale of a policy.
Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan
