Recently Bharti AXA Life Insurance has partnered with Ankur Warikoo, to launch a six-part knowledge series, ‘Plan Smart with Ankur’ aimed at answering key consumer questions around life insurance. The company has also launched campaigns featuring the benefits offered by life insurance policies.
Geetanjali Kothari, Head – Marketing and Corporate Communications, Bharti AXA Life Insurance spoke about the other communication initiatives by the company, on the diversity and inclusion at Bharti AXA, and more.
Excerpts:
What are the other initiatives by the company to educate and influence Indians on financial decisions?
The idea of the knowledge series with Ankur Warikoo was to answer key consumer questions about life insurance, simplifying financial jargons, and assisting Indians in making smart financial decisions, in line with our mission of simplifying insurance and providing innovative solutions to consumers.
Some of the other brand initiatives include our campaign “Ek Kadam Azaadi ki Aur” that we launched for financial freedom month with the aim of educating customers on how life insurance plans provide much more than only security and tax benefits. It also highlights how choosing life insurance allows an individual to plan for any life goal and enjoy freedom.
With the tax season underway, we are also engaging with customers through a digital campaign, ‘Ab savings nahi, savEEEngs hogi,’ which emphasizes on the triple tax exemptions that they can get by investing in life insurance.
Last October, we initiated a myth buster campaign to ease the doubts about life insurance and educating our customers about term insurance common myths and informing about its reality to keep them well aware for making any financial decision in future.
Any specific/special engagements you have spearheaded with the channel partners and customers by driving multiple initiatives to recall?
Last year, we launched a 360-degree multimedia campaign across television, print, digital, and social media platforms to build awareness about meeting different financial needs at various milestones of life by removing uncertainties with guaranteed returns on investments. We signed off our campaign with “Do the Smart Thing”.
For insurance awareness month, we have devised a campaign for our internal audience customers to educate, encourage, engage, and disseminate awareness about the necessity of insurance, as well as to remind people to evaluate their policies and ask questions. Our campaign #Sawalpucho highlights the significance of asking questions when it comes to insurance (reviewing policies, features, coverages, additional costs, etc.)
We’ve made our toll-free line available to anyone who wants to learn more about their current policy, the lingo, coverage, and how to evaluate the correct cover, as well as items to consider when buying a policy.
Moreover, we continue to engage with our channel partners throughout the year through collaborations, partnerships, social media campaigns, and opinion pieces on important occasions and observance days such as Women’s Day, Cancer Awareness Day, Army Day, Children’s Day, and so on, to promote the importance of protecting one’s life and future through the right insurance cover.
Bharti AXA Life Insurance has received great place to work certification. Can you elaborate on the diversity and inclusion at Bharti AXA?
We have made a significant investment when it comes to our employees and culture. Need a few initiatives around D&I here.
Further, this International Women’s Day, we are leveraging our social media assets to celebrate the journey of female employees and amplify their stories on our company’s LinkedIn page through carousels and posts.
Additionally, we have built a strong network of over 33,266 advisers in 254 branch offices across India all dedicated to the basic goal of simplifying insurance in a complex world. We launched MSmart app, for which the organisation has demonstrated a beneficial impact in streamlining customer management and feedback throughout the epidemic by measuring, assessing, and interpreting the attitudes of its workers. Bharti AXA Life Insurance has also carried out numerous initiatives through its in-house Bharti AXAcademy to upskill and accelerate the potential of its workers, allowing the company to achieve a 99.08 percent claim ratio backed by the company’s financial strength.
Can you tell us about the challenges faced as a woman marketer in the BFSI field?
What is it like being a woman in a space that is traditionally dominated by men? In one word, hard. That’s what you would expect me to say.
On the contrary, my professional journey has been rather unaffected by gender bias, and I consider myself to be extremely blessed to have had such an experience. I realise that most women don’t have it this easy often having to overcome major challenges and roadblocks when climbing up the corporate ladder.
Women in leadership positions feel compelled to prove themselves in comparison to their male counterparts. That adds more pressure, and you can’t really shake of the feeling of being under the microscope constantly.
Having said that, I do think there is scope to ease the burden on women on a more substantial and wholesome level.
Women are not expected to be simply women today. They are expected to be ‘superwomen’. And that’s the perception that we slowly need to change.
There is a need to strike that perfect work-life balance. But that is only possible when you have people to partner you in the truest sense of the word. That means dividing responsibilities both at work and outside work.
Having said that, the ‘boy’s club mentality’, I believe is fading out. Success is imminent if you do not underestimate your skills, stay true to yourself and play to your strengths. This is absolutely vital as it helps in rising above conventional, preconceived notions.
My team is my biggest asset in the organisation and the work that I do with my team totally speaks for itself. It has given me the opportunity to bring my unique skillset to the table creating a lasting impression by being seen and heard.
The legacy you want to leave behind as a woman leader?
As a woman business leader, the legacy that I wish to leave behind me is plain and simple women empowerment. With power and determination, I aim to mentor more women so that they too can break the glass ceiling and make smart career choices.
I want to tell them to be courageous and bold. Enable them to set goals and steer the course of their professional journey. Take risks, make mistakes but be accountable. I want to inspire confidence by being frank and honest that triggers their female spirit to take on more leadership roles within businesses in India today.
I reiterate that I am one of the lucky few who have been fortunate enough to have been brought up in a truly genderless environment. Be it at home or at work, I have had it fair. But I have witnessed a number of instances where women have been victims of gender inequality. That’s where the passion for women empowerment really stems from.
I have always felt that having a mentor to guide, someone who understands your unique challenges, the journey to success would be relatively easy.
Imminent plans for the company
Ans: A company’s success rides a lot on the good will of the people, and to earn their trust, a company needs to show its good will in the larger scheme of things.
The key questions here are: “How can I actually relate with my customers” and “How can I show that I really do care?” This is where purpose-driven marketing strategy comes into play.
If a company is to succeed, it has to make the brand’s purpose the centre of attention. A strong brand purpose not only serves the society, but also reinforces people’s trust in the company’s promise to stand by them through these purpose-driven actions.
Purpose makes a brand click; it is the reason that it exists in the first place. A brand’s vision should revolve around its purpose to become and remain relevant and necessary to its customers.
We live in a world of smart consumers, who can easily see through your intentions and find out if your brand is truly acting on its promise. So, it is imperative for brands to be transparent and connect with the people in a way that they understand and are able to easily relate to.
