#BrandManagerMonth: 1Life to live

Rick Rupping, head of marketing, Matt Arnold, brand manager, Brina Sieber, digital strategist and Grant Malherbe-Stroud, media manager

Rick Rupping, head of marketing, Matt Arnold, brand manager, Grant Malherbe-Stroud, media manager, and Brina Sieber, digital strategist, tell their brand story….

Who is the brand’s target market?

Any consumer who needs financial products and services, which they can access directly, without the hassle of using a third party. We speak to consumers who understand the importance of planning their financial future – and those that need guidance – to ensure their families have adequate financial protection.

What’s on the team’s wish list for brand objectives for 2016?

To showcase what our business stands for, and why we are in the business of financial solutions. That is, to truly change the lives of our customers, our staff and all South Africans on a daily basis through our product offerings, processes and education.

What innovations have the current team been responsible for?

• Truth About Money: which is a financial education course covering debt management and counselling services as well as wills and estate planning services, all for free. It focuses on behavioural change, and to date, we have seen massive uptake, due, we believe, to the dire need for financial education and support.

• All Woman: is specifically designed to ensure the financial protection and support if a woman, or her child, are diagnosed with cancer.

• Preserve Funeral Plan: was recently launched, and is a first of its kind truly African funeral plan. It is a comprehensive package that caters for the cultural and traditional burial needs, where consumers have access to a burial within a privately controlled and secure, 400-hectare conservation park.

• 1Life brand:while we have always been very strong in the print, TV and online advertising space, we have taken this a level further. To really connect with consumers we needed to tell a story that is emotive, real and resonates with them. As such, we developed a brand campaign using the example of how one small action or decision can have a profound impact on one’s life journey.

What makes your brand stand out from others in its class?

Very simply, it’s that we strive to make “life less complicated” for our clients when it comes to their financial protection.

This means that we not only tailor packages to consumer’s specific financial needs, by removing tedious processes typically associated with financial planning and insurance cover, we also ensure that we provide them with cover that actually meets their immediate and long-term financial needs.

What does the team see currently as the main challenges and or opportunities for the brand sector?

Operating in the type of industry we do, we always need to be aware of external factors such as consumer spending, new technology development and the current economic climate, as these all have an impact on our business.

Does the team still see the value of TV, print and other mainstream media?

Yes, but one cannot simply view a specific channel in isolation. Given that we operate within such diverse target markets, which all have different preferences in terms of the media channels they use, we have to explore a host of different mainstream media.

We launched our #StrongerTogether campaign, in September last year to help support the need for greater education around cancer, but doing so in a manner that actually connects with people.

As a result, we shared stories from around South Africa and profiled people affected by cancer, all supported by informative and helpful advice.

What are the biggest obstacles to take up and planning of "new media" campaigns?

Consumer needs are continuously evolving, and a company’s brand strategy must reflect these changes – otherwise it will run the risk of becoming irrelevant in the minds of consumers.

We responded to the consumer’s growing need for directly accessible financial planning products and services, with the launch of our new brand campaign – Life Less Complicated in March this year.

What does the team love most about your brand?

All our staff truly believe that we are “changing lives” and actively live this on a day-to- day basis, which directly translates to what we stand for as a brand and how we communicate.