Every year Modus Direct preps for the busy 10-weeks of AEP. The planning for the upcoming year usually starts before the current year is even complete. 10/1 – 12/7 is the most crucial time of the year for our Medicare clients. Though we are happy we are all wrapped up, we are even happier that our clients have made their goals.
The big winners for the season continue to be Direct Mail, but a strong call out this season to Spadeas and Save inserts which carried their weight in providing leads and value to our client’s media plans. Many talk about print being a thing of the past, but these print tactics continue to perform well for our clients and should be considered by all advertisers in this space – even in OEP and SEP.
Another call out this season is the successful out of home efforts targeting specific consumers and neighborhoods. Most of our clients included out of home in their plans for 2023 and 5-star clients, in particular, continue to see value in out of home enjoying the reach and brand building effectiveness.
Overall, traditional media’s performance during AEP involves increased advertising and communication efforts. Many companies use television, radio, newspapers, and out of home to reach a broad audience and inform them about their offerings, benefits, and options during the enrollment period.
The media mix for the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), especially in the context of health insurance or similar industries, involves a combination of different marketing channels to effectively reach and engage the target audience. Our goal is to drive leads and enrollments to ensure the clients meet their goals.
In the pursuit of lead generation and enrollments television is our go-to and generally performs best next to Direct Mail in the traditional media space. Linear and Connected TV (CTV) advertising are effective strategies for marketing to older consumers, who are often part of the demographic known as the senior market. Here are some considerations and strategies for reaching older consumers through these advertising channels:
Linear TV Advertising:
- Cater to Viewing Habits:
- The senior market still prefer traditional linear TV over streaming. Our most effective times to air are daytime and evening hours when older viewers are more likely to be watching.
- Choose Relevant Channels:
- Diginets such as METV are strong performers, while affiliate stations provide the strong reach necessary to ensure a successful AEP. Locally delivering commercials on targeted college sports contests has been a successful execution for many seasons and continued into 2023.
- Emphasize Trust and Familiarity:
- Our most successful campaigns continue to include testimonials, recognizable spokespersons, and branding elements that evoke a sense of reliability.
Connected TV (CTV) Advertising:
- Digital Presence:
- Older consumers are increasingly adopting digital technologies. For the last 5 seasons we have had CTV part of our media mix extending our reach and engage with this audience in a digital environment.
- Targeting and Personalization:
- We leverage data to target our ads effectively focusing on geography and A65+ Medicare eligible.
General Considerations:
- Respectful Imagery:
- We always us imagery that reflects the diversity and interests of older consumers. We avoid stereotypes and embrace a positive portrayal of aging.
- Clear Call-to-Action (CTA):
- We Include a clear CTA in our ads. Whether it’s a phone number, website, QR code or physical location to make it easy for older consumers to take the next step.
- Accessibility:
- We ensure that an appropriate font size, color contrast, and closed captioning is included to accommodate various needs.
Understanding the preferences, behaviors, and values of older consumers is crucial for crafting effective advertising strategies. We always tailor our approach to resonate with this demographic, and we are mindful of the channels and messaging that align with their preferences.
The specific mix may vary based on the organization’s goals, target audience, budget, and geographic focus. An effective media mix often integrates both traditional and digital channels to create a comprehensive and cohesive marketing strategy. Regularly assessing the performance of each channel and adjusting the mix based on results is also crucial for optimizing the campaign during the AEP.
