Can mutuality be marketed?

THE marketing for mutuals “isn’t working” said Marketing Director, Karl Elliot, at the Mutuals 2012 Forum in London.

Three marketing professionals; Karl Elliot, Marketing Director for Engage Mutual Assurance, Liz Cable, Social Media and Digital Community specialist at Reach Further and Marc Bell, Marketing Director at Benenden Healthcare shared their views on the problems of marketing mutuality.

“We simply don’t engage enough with our customers, the marketing simply isn’t working;” said Karl Elliot; “We worry about doing the right thing, we spend ages trying to redefine mutuality and we get lost in all that.

He added: “There are no excuses. The Government is looking for alternative models, it is the first time they have reached out… Mutuality is the purpose, not the result.”

Liz Cable explained that more mutuals needed to embrace new technology, she said: “There is great synergy between social media and mutuality.”

Through social media the customers can offer positive feedback on channels such as Facebook and Twitter. “It is simply not true that people are more likely to be negative than positive online;” she added.

Social media allows customers to express their problems and needs. She explained: “Availability is about visibility online… if they are knocking on your door and they can’t find you, then you might as well not be there.”

Marc Bell, Marketing Director, Benenden Healthcare took a slightly different approach, he believed the mutuals needed to be authentic, have trust, empowerment, have a brand value and innovation.

He said: “Brand value is key, everything we do has to underpin… It’s a key driver of any successful marketing strategy. Brand positioning is extremely important.”