Health Alliance Plan (HAP) was ready to juice things up. Their new PPO services program needed to be relaunched in order to increase awareness. The marketing campaign had to appeal to both prospective clients and agent groups who could use the materials to solicit business. That's where First Marketing came in. Their existing experience with HAP in working on the HAPWISE newsletter allowed the team to propose a targeted solution that was sure to stand out. After an initial round of creative review that included several competing agencies, HAP chose First Marketing's concept. "We told them to take the ball and run with it," says Anita Landino, Associate Director of Communications for HAP. "And that's exactly what they did." Striking A "Cord" The first phase of the winning campaign, entitled "The Power of Choice," included a bright orange 25-ft. power cord and was accompanied by an eye-catching direct mail piece, BRC and explanatory letter that demonstrated how easy it was to "plug in" to the services HAP was offering. The response was electric. The second phase of the campaign included an authentic pizza box with a printed insert of a pizza glued to the bottom inside. An incentive of a free pizza was the motivation for returning the reply card within a specific time frame. "Initially, we chose First Marketing based on the strength of their creative," Landino says. "However, the numbers speak for themselves." The first and second phases of the campaign generated responses of 7% and 11%, respectively. True Partners First Marketing first began working with HAP in 2001 on the HAPWISE newsletter, which is distributed to more than 250,000 HAP members and contains important member plan and health-related articles. "Having First Marketing work on the HAPWISE newsletter took a lot of pressure off our in-house writers," Landino says. "First Marketing consistently hits the mark every quarter with strategic copy and design." She also has high praise for the level of service provided by the account team. "First Marketing bends over backwards to accommodate our unique needs, and they are always right there when I need them," Landino adds. Together, First Marketing and HAP work toward a shared goal of keeping HAP's members educated and informed through effective communication and targeted marketing. "I consider First Marketing an extension of my marketing department," Landino says. "I wouldn't hesitate to use them for any project we may be developing."

Reprinted from Strategies newsletter, 3rd Quarter © June 2003 by First Marketing, 3300 Gateway Drive, Pompano Beach, FL 33069.
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