The 2014 LIMRA LOMA Social Media Conference for Financial Services hosted a number of forward-thinking speakers who offered interesting and thought-provoking views about how our industry should use social media to communicate and engage consumers.
A few of the remarks left an indelible impression and illustrated some of the characteristics of the Silver Bowl for Social Media award winners:
"Content is king. Current, funny and relevant win."
— Randi Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Zuckerberg Media
- John Hancock Financial Services won two Silver Bowl Awards for "Best Use of Twitter" and "Best of the Best" for its #WeRunTogether sponsorship of the Boston Marathon. This campaign was designed to support the Boston Marathon community and to help facilitate its recovery and revitalization after the tragic events of 2013. The #WeRunTogether hashtag and partnerships with community organizations enabled people to share stories and show their passion for Boston and the marathon. The Twitter promotion delivered more than 1.6 million impressions and inspired people from all over the world.
- To promote its brand message of "Transform Tomorrow" Transamerica worked with the social network Tumblr and a gif artist company to document transformative moments in cities all over the United States. Through images and videos, TransformTomorrow encourages the discussion of a better future whether that means green energy, better health and wellness, or planning for retirement. Transamerica is the first financial services company on Tumblr and was recognized with a Silver Bowl Award for "Best Use of Other Social Network"
- As the seventh stop in the Rugby Sevens World Series, the Hong Kong tournament is one of the most popular events in the city. Sun Life Financial Asia won for "Best Use of Facebook" through its sponsorship of Rugby Canada in the tournament. In just three weeks, Sun Life built a Facebook page around the idea of being part of the games with live feeds and updates on the underdog Rugby Canada team. Through its efforts, Sun Life outperformed several well-funded sponsors of the event and established a social platform for advisors and customers.
"To better measure social media effectiveness, we focused less on
building an audience and more on engaging our audience."
— Kathleen Mayko, Director, Social Media Brand Marketing, MassMutual
- Popular Bank in Puerto Rico won the Silver Bowl for "Best Use of Social Media for Social Good" with the "Mi banco, Mi espacio" ("My Bank, My Space") campaign. Business owners were encouraged to post short videos, which were featured on the bank's YouTube page and promoted on Facebook, as well as Popular's main webpage. Several of these business owners were selected to appear in Popular print and TV ads. In a tough economic climate in Puerto Rico, the campaign engaged people to want to learn more about the businesses featured and about the bank.
- Understanding the shift in the way consumers interact with insurance companies and advisors, Guardian Life Insurance ran a pilot program for 250 of their advisors with LinkedIn's prospecting tool Sales Navigator. After 12 weeks the Guardian advisors increased their connections by 56 percent and were able to gain 29 new clients. (They even hired four new financial professionals.) Guardian was recognized with the Silver Bowl Award for "Best Use of LinkedIn."
"It's not what you know, it's what you share. "
— Kathy Hutson, Solutions Manager, IBM Global Insurance Services
- Prudential's strategy behind "Bring Your Challenges" involved a dedicated YouTube channel as the place where consumers could learn about human behaviors that inhibit planning for a secure financial future. Videos on the site range from entertaining to emotional and are designed to reframe the retirement conversation. With a multi-media strategy of traditional and online media, the YouTube videos have received more than 3.7 million views. For its efforts, Prudential won the Silver Bowl Award for "Best Use of YouTube."
- Thrivent Financial Agent Natalie Kratzer won for "Best Use of Social Media by an Agent/Advisor." For years, Kratzer has grown and leveraged her Facebook Business Page and LinkedIn profile to engage current clients and prospects by combining her personality with financial industry information and community-based content. In one example, for every Facebook "like" she received, Kratzer donated money to a local breast cancer organization. Her active social presence has resulted in new clients, increased sales and deeper relationships.