Bupa shifts strategy to promote service range

A TV, print, outdoor and digital push, developed by WCRS, replaces the long-running 'Shapes' animated ad campaign.

The executions feature real Bupa customers in a variety of situations, promoting the brand idea that there is a 'bit of Bupa for everyone'.

TV ads, set to a gospel choir version of Marina and the Diamonds' song I Am Not a Robot, feature customers of all ages to emphasise that Bupa offers a range of services to fulfil individuals' health needs. The campaign is intended to tackle difficult conditions, including cancer and dementia, in an 'uplifting' way.

Above-the-line activity will be supported by a digital and PR push centred on an online 'health age calculator'. The campaign, which launches on Thursday, introduces the strap-line 'Helping you find healthy.'

According to Martin George, Bupa's managing director, group development, the aim of the campaign is to persuade consumers to reappraise Bupa as a 'healthcare partner', offering a range of services to reflect different life stages.

'We want to have an on-going relationship with customers, and that is different from how many consumers perceive Bupa,' he said. 'For a lot of people, it is just seen as a private health insurance company. We wanted to challenge preconceived ideas about what we offer and who we offer it to.'

George is keen to promote the company's lesser-known services, such as corporate health packages, dentist services, health assessments and its 300 UK care homes.

With more than 2m consumers a month accessing health information on Bupa's website, George believes the company has a wider potential customer-base than it currently reaches. 'We're trying to promote the relevance of what we offer to more people,' he added.

The campaign was developed by a steering group including group brand director and former PepsiCo marketer Fiona McAnena, and group marketing director Tiffany Hall, a former colleague of George at British Airways.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk