Defending one of Australia's largest insurance categories

Problem

Last year an advocacy body launched a scathing attack on our client’s industry through a high profile national media campaign.

Many of the claims made against the industry were unsupported by either rigorous data or stringent analysis.

Our client needed a swift, credible and thorough response to address the issues and limit damage to its reputation and that of the industry as a whole.

Solution

When our client's market intelligence revealed a likely campaign, we tapped media and industry contacts for more information. We established an immediate response team and approach, headed by the CEO and supported by our team.

Together we prepared positions and materials in response to the anticipated issues, readied their spokesperson and began media outreach.

Once the issue broke our client had a strong response, conviction in their position and an evidence base to directly counter the claims.

Results

A fast, targeted response enabled our client to have more share of voice and commentary in the second wave of reporting, following the initial campaign.
Our client had the “last word” and second wave articles led to a more balanced coverage of the issue, with positive Google search results.
Our client was supported with key messages and statements and launched a strong "counter-factual" to combat unfair claims.

Challenge: Defending market leadership

When a brand or individual has established a new market, and holds a majority market share, they can become a natural target.

In a real-time new cycle, media have little time to fact check and sometimes simply report what they're told.

This left our client and their industry vulnerable to a "big = bad" campaign.

Our client had to step into defence on a national stage when they found themselves in a full media storm.

A strong defence

To mitigate damage, protect its reputation and show leadership, our client needed to take swift action on the public stage. There were no hiding places and no room for a half-hearted response or defensive attitude.

Emergency Action

By 7:00am the day following the attack, we mobilised a fully-staffed and fully-connected BlueChip emergency response team. We knew that it was important to establish a base to monitor media-wide reactions and commentary, and to plan protocols including timelines for calls update frequency and materials development.

By 9:00am we had created and given our client an evidence-based response strategy. We devised and prepared a range of materials that not just directly addressed and corrected the issues raised by the consumer organisation, but also gave Q&As and key messages and statements aimed at a range of its stakeholders:

Managing the media

We took on a full media management role which included:

Proactive outreach to every media channel that had written about the issue, to provide rebuttal and seek inclusion of the facts.
Fielding all media enquiries and managing responses
Conducting media and message training for our client’s spokespeople.
Supporting our client’s brand partners with media response issues

Showing leadership

With more balanced coverage and more share of the voice and message, our client showed leadership in its market, and strengthened their stakeholder engagement in the process.

Stronger for the future

Our client used this high profile issue to shape a new communication and stakeholder engagement strategy, to accelerate planned product improvements and improve community education about their category.

Case Study: Protect