Bharti Axa goes 'beyond insurance' with its 'Grief Support Program'

Come January-March quarter, one industry that goes on a marketing overdrive is Insurance. The quarter accounts for a third of its annual targets, as per industry estimates. Against this backdrop, Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and global insurance company AXA, has launched its new campaign around the core thought of ‘Beyond Insurance’ to address needs and provide assistance to the family of the deceased policyholder.

Sharing the USP of the offering, Sandeep Ghosh, MD and CEO, Bharti AXA Life Insurance says in an exclusive chat with Brand Equity, the offering essentially highlights the tough times – post the bereavement of a dear one in the family – and how the insurance brand is helping in making those critical moments a little easier. With this launch, the brand is taking a positioning that goes beyond being a mere claim settler in the highest moment of need, he adds. This new service is being offered at no extra cost to all existing and new policy holders.

As a part of the first of its kind, ‘Grief Support Program’, the insurance company will ensure the family (of the bereaved) receives psychological support through counselling sessions with trained professionals. Also, provided would be services like a second opinion on the will, assistance in financial planning and other areas where support could be required during these stressful situations, says Ghosh.

The brand has launched an integrated marketing campaign #GoBeyond to talk about the new offering, and will encompass TV and digital across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The TVC has been conceptualised by Public is Ambience and stars popular TV star Renuka Shahane as the protagonist.

Shares Jitin Paul, chief marketing officer, Bharti AXA Life Insurance, “We decided to own the space of people coping with the aftermath of the grief as an insurance player. After all my product, itself can never be unique by itself, however, many bells and whistles I may add to it.” In a regulated category, to be differentiated can be a challenge for any player, and even more so for the mid-sized ones.

Earlier too Bharti AXA, a relatively mid-sized player in an extremely crowded category was one of the first brands, to launch a 48-hour guaranteed claim settlement proposition. Soon a lot of other companies also got on board and the company realised claim-settlement by itself cannot be a differentiator. Globally too, health insurance companies are offering solutions that go beyond just the policy and the claims.