MILWAUKEE – When Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) first partnered with Hanson Dodge Creative in 2010, the goal was to build a more dynamic website experience that would emotionally engage customers and distinguish the company from a sea of competitors. The final result – eight video modules that used real people sharing moving testimonials – not only enabled BCBSNC to showcase their exceptional service, but also helped the company take home a 2011 Best of Blue® award.
 
The BCBCNC submission, “Service Value Story Campaign,” was selected from over 80 entries in the Account Marketing category from across the Blue System and was among those honored at the at the 2011 Blue National Summit Best of Blue® Awards event held Dec. 4-7 in Chicago.
 
“I knew when the work was completed that it was something special and knew it had the potential to win awards,” said Bridgette Sullivan, BCBSNC director of creative services. “Hanson Dodge Creative did a fantastic job. I’m thrilled with the work they have done for us.”
 
Sullivan and her staff were notified in September that the campaign, which also included a direct mail program, was among those recognized in the15th Annual Best of Blue Marketing and Communications competition. Entries were judged by an external panel of 10 marketing and communications professionals from organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, creative agencies and academia.
 
The Hanson Dodge Creative videos, entitled, “We Stand by You,” tell the very real stories of what it’s like to receive a devastating medical diagnosis such as breast cancer, and the vital role BCBSNC representatives play in helping patients and their families navigate the financial challenges associated with treatment.
 
Hanson Dodge Creative CEO Ken Hanson, who served as the project’s creative director, said, “We set out to deliver an online experience that would bring BCBSNC’s exceptional service to the forefront. We wanted to connect with viewers in three ways by delivering the Brand Champion stories, the customer service professional’s role in that story and finally, the internal support stories delivered by the BCBSNC leadership.”
 
The campaign clearly hit its mark. Within five months of its July 2010 launch, there were more than 5,400 visits to the new service campaign-landing page. Visitors were highly engaged, staying on the service site nearly twice as long as other BCBSNC sites.
 
The campaign was warmly received within BCBSNC as well. More than 1,000 employees visited the site within a month of its launch. The response to the HDC videos has been heartfelt. Sullivan reports that the campaign has provided tremendous motivation to the BCBSNC customer service team.
 
“We showed the four videos with the member testimonials at a conference honoring top performing agents and they cheered,” said Sullivan. “It was very powerful.”
 
 
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 77 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an organization that consists of 39 independently operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield member companies from across the U.S.
 
About Hanson Dodge Creative:
Hanson Dodge Creative is America’s leading active lifestyle agency. The full-service firm specializes in helping global brands attain market leadership through the strategic integration of world-class branding, relationship marketing, social media, e-commerce and advanced interactive technology. Clients include Wilson Sporting Goods, Trek, Wolverine, Thule and Kmart. Established in 1984, Hanson Dodge is located in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. For more information, call 414.347.1266 or visit hansondodge.com.
 
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