As Q2 kicks off, healthcare marketers are firmly in the planning phase of the AEP/OEP cycle of ANALYSIS ➡ PLANNING ➡ EXECUTION ➡ TRACKING. The Q1 activities, as we noted in a recent blog post, were primarily about gathering data to inform the planning process. Gathering results from last year’s AEP/OEP campaign. Gathering input from brokers and the Sales department. Gathering data from internal stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned in how to measure success. Gathering website intel to adjust for the coming year.
With the analysis (and gathering) stage coming to an end and the planning phase beginning, the first question to face is: Who are we going to target?
This question is challenging to answer regardless of whether you are talking about the Medicare or the Individual market. Coverage can’t be denied to those who are eligible, but that doesn’t mean marketers need to cast the widest net possible. Furthermore, the tight marketing budgets many marketers are forced to manage require precise, efficient targeting.
Marketing shouldn’t face this decision alone. The ideal Medicare or Individual member is different for each organization; and the data necessary to identify the ideal member may reside in multiple departments. Product knows which personas were used to design benefits. Finance knows the profile of the most profitable members. The C-suite knows if there are any long-term strategic goals that should alter the shape of the membership base. Marketing knows which segments have been most responsive recently. The ideal target universe is somewhere at the nexus of this data.
Once that target universe is identified, it should guide all other decisions – media, messaging, calls-to-action, response channels, incentives and more. With the “sweet spot” of your target audience determined, healthcare marketers are ready to approach the next steps in planning. Check back next quarter as we discuss how marketers can bolster outside sales efforts, identify best practices for internal sharing and more key actions in the AEP/OEP planning process.