In an exclusive interaction with MediaBrief, Shefali Khalsa, Head Brand, Corporate Communications, SBI General Insurance, speaks about SBI General Insurance’s digital journey and its recently launched #7MinutestoGoodHealth camping.
She also discusses how SBI General Insurance collaborated with The Yoga Institute and Vidya Malavade to amplify its campaign and strengthen its commitment to customer well-being.
Give us an overview of SBI General Insurance, its USP, and its target audiences?
SBI General is one of the fastest-growing private general insurance companies, with the strong parentage of SBI, we, at SBI General Insurance, are committed to carrying forward the legacy of trust and security; and have the vision to become the most trusted general insurer for a transforming India.
In our 11 years of operations, our efforts have been to ensure steady growth which owing to the expansive pan-India reach enabled by the increasing number of distribution partners through bancassurance OEM tie-ups, and digital integrations, the company has gained a good market share.
In one of the most challenging periods professionally, it is with our people’s efforts and our digital readiness that we were able to service our customers to the best of our abilities and could remain their trusted insurance partner.
We scaled up our diverse product portfolio, directed our focus on segments that needed us like SME, health, etc, enabled our channel partners with training and infrastructure to ensure that our customers are reassured and secured. In the last financial year, we have also revamped our brand identity and underlined our brand promise as ‘Suraksha Aur Bharosa Dono’ (Trust and Insurance both).
We have consistently strived to be at the forefront of digitization, equipped ourselves to be agile and future-ready, and be able to provide best-in-class customer experience to traditionalists and modernists alike. With the digital readiness and unparalleled network strength, we have a strong focus on India and Bharat both.
What are the initiatives SBI General has launched in the past to promote good health and well-being?
We at SBI General introduced our distinctive health campaign called #7MinutestoGoodHealth. With our fast-paced lives, we may or may not have time to squeeze in a long workout regimen but sparing just 7 minutes a day is still possible. #7MinutesToGoodHealth allows you to transform your body and mind in just 7 minutes a day routine.
We understand the importance of health. We focus on educating people on the significance of covering their health risks through insurance so that a health emergency does not turn into a financial crisis.
To enable this, we have a robust portfolio of health products, and the most recent addition to that underlining our health focus, is our flagship health product Arogya Supreme, a comprehensive plan with a full bouquet of coverage.
Amongst many other initiatives, to reiterate our commitment to improving health insurance penetration in the country, we launched a health insurance campaign on the radio to educate consumers that when an eventuality occurs one does not have to pay out of pocket. This was a powerful and pan India campaign.
Tell us about SBI General’s ‘7 Minutes to Good Health’ initiative? What was the insight behind it?
In the current situation, securing health has become more important than ever before. This was the backdrop for us in ideating this initiative of #7MinutestoGoodHealth.
#7MinutesToGoodHealth, is a unique health programme that focuses on basic and simple breathing techniques that can be practised every day for just 7 minutes and can help you to transform your body and mind.
SBI General Insurance has partnered with The Yoga Institute, the oldest centre of yoga in the world to curate this guided health program.
In the current times, as we know we all have become more cautious about our fitness and routine to keep ourselves healthy. On the flip side of the coin, right breathing can transform your mind and body in a much healthy manner.
What are the short- and long-term goals SBI General wishes to achieve with this campaign?
Right breathing can transform your mind and body in a much healthy manner.
Nothing is more important than good health, both physical and emotional wellbeing. The pandemic has highlighted the fact that health is a priority and we must all take measures to secure it.
As a result, SBI General’s health campaign attempts to inform, educate, and raise awareness about the importance of good physical and mental health. The idea is to encourage individuals to take their health seriously by practicing 7 minutes of the right breathing exercises daily which could be a first step toward achieving overall well-being.
Through this pan India initiative, SBI General Insurance is nudging people to take just 7 minutes out of their day which will go a long way in protecting their mental and physical health. We eventually aim to drive this across all our stakeholders of varied demographics. We intend to encourage the maximum number of people to take their health seriously and start with just #7MinutesToGoodHealth.
How has SBI General’s collaboration with The Yoga Institute helped spread this health awareness initiative?
SBI General has partnered with The Yoga Institute, the world’s oldest yoga centre, to curate this easy and effective guided health programme, 7 Minutes to Good Health.
While we understand the importance of spreading awareness of health and how people can work towards securing it, we also wanted this to be developed and guided by the best in the field.
This association has given us a holistic approach towards both mental and physical health through 7 minutes guided breathing exercises. Their presence as a part of this journey builds credibility given their expertise and reassures us that our objective of taking 7 minutes to good health to every Indian will be optimally fulfilled.
What are the other initiatives SBI General has rolled out to support its ‘7 Minutes to Good Health’ initiative?
To increase the impact of this initiative, we have associated with Vidya Malavade, an actor and yoga enthusiast, as a brand ambassador who demonstrates correct breathing techniques in a byte-size guided video campaign promoted through social media and podcasts.
The company has also teamed up with other celebrities and sports figures such as Sameera Reddy, Mithila Palkar, Dinesh Karthik, Saina Nehwal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Luke Coutinho as influencers for the campaign on social media, in order to further the organization’s commitment to health on a larger scale.
We have a 360-degree approach towards this complete with: Podcasts on Spotify, Gaana, Amazon; Twitter campaign engaging other GI brands; On ground activations; Engagement with all our stakeholders like agents, employees, etc. Keeping it relevant with special days and festivities like World Heart Day and Navratri.
What traction has the campaign and the byte-size guided videos from Vidya Malvade garnered?
It is still premature to state the traction, given the magnitude of it. However, since its launch, we have reached around 40 lakhs people. We are still tracking the reach via other modes of communication and aim to reach a far wider audience through this in the coming months.
Also, for the on-ground activations, we are in the process of expanding the reach with the unfolding safety and government guidelines.
How will you measure the success of the campaign?
The objective of this campaign is to guide and encourage the audience about the quick, easy, and effective way of taking care of one’s health which is adapting just 7 minutes regime of breathing right.
While we will continue to measure the campaign reach and impressions, the offline reach will also be reflective of the true impact.
The BFSI sector is at times perceived as monotonous in its communication. How does SBI General Insurance tackle this challenge while engaging with its audiences?
At SBI General, we are completely aligned with the DNA of social media and its requirements. We ensure that our messaging is relevant and designed as per the target audience.
We are constantly exploring newer ways to connect with our audiences even reaching out to influencers to build a closer connect.
