WPS Medicare Growth Campaign

Driving Three Consecutive Years of Record Growth Through Authentic Storytelling

THE CHALLENGE

WPS Health Solutions faced a critical challenge with its most profitable product line: Medicare Supplement insurance. While WPS was the largest Wisconsin-based Medicare provider, the organization was rapidly losing market share to large, nationally known competitors in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The existing marketing approach had become stagnant and ineffective. The strategy relied on dated tactics—generic 8.5 x 11 direct mail letters that were rarely updated, limited radio advertising, and sporadic community events. Marketing efforts were fragmented across just two or three channels with no cohesive message or integrated strategy.

The business stakes were significant. Medicare Supplement represented WPS's most important revenue stream, and continued market share erosion threatened both profitability and the organization's competitive position in its home state. Leadership needed a strategic transformation that would not only halt the decline but position WPS for sustained growth in a highly regulated, competitive environment.

The challenge was clear: develop an omnichannel campaign that could differentiate WPS from generic national insurers, leverage the organization's Wisconsin roots and values, and drive measurable business growth—all while navigating the complex regulatory requirements of healthcare marketing.

THE STRATEGY

The strategic insight centered on authenticity as a competitive advantage. While national

competitors relied on polished stock footage and generic messaging that made all insurance advertising look identical, WPS had something more powerful: real stories from real people who had experienced genuinely exceptional care.

The "Because We Care" campaign strategy was built on three core pillars:

Authentic Storytelling

Feature actual WPS customers and team members, unscripted and in their own words, sharing genuine experiences of how WPS exceeded expectations. This emotional, human-centered approach would resonate with baby boomer audiences increasingly skeptical of slick, manufactured marketing.

Local Connection

Leverage WPS's deep Wisconsin roots and locally based team members who genuinely care about their communities. Position WPS as the hometown choice versus faceless national corporations.

Omnichannel Integration

Create a cohesive experience across all touchpoints—television, direct mail, radio, digital, social media, and live events—ensuring prospects encountered the same compelling stories and consistent message regardless of channel.

The strategic bet: in a category dominated by transactional messaging and fear-based appeals, leading with compassion, authenticity, and local connection would create meaningful differentiation and deeper emotional engagement with the target audience.

THE EXECUTION

The campaign launched with a single powerful testimonial that became the foundation for everything that followed. After filming customer Jewel sharing her heartfelt story of how WPS took care of her when she needed it most, the team recognized they had discovered something special. That authentic, emotional testimonial became the template for an expanded omnichannel campaign.

Television Campaign

Created more than 30 different television spots featuring real customers and WPS team members telling their stories. Ads ran across all six Wisconsin television markets (Madison, Milwaukee, Fox Valley, Wausau/Stevens Point, Eau Claire, and La Crosse) during the critical August-January open enrollment period, eventually expanding into Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio as WPS grew its geographic footprint.

WPS 30 second spot: Jewel

The television campaign achieved exceptional reach, with ads seen by 99.1% of the target demographic. Seniors 65 and older encountered WPS messaging an average of 34 times over the five-month campaign period, creating strong brand recall and consideration.

Integrated Channels

Every touchpoint reinforced the same authentic stories and visual identity:

• Direct mail featured the same customers and testimonials seen on television

• Digital and social media extended the stories with additional content

• Radio spots used customer voices to maintain consistency

• Live event partnerships with the Green Bay Packers (Lambeau Field) and Milwaukee Brewers (American Family Field) brought the brand experience to life in the community

In-House Production

All creative was produced internally by a 12-person multidisciplinary

team including multimedia professionals, copywriters, and graphic designers. This allowed for rapid iteration, cost efficiency, and authentic storytelling that felt genuine rather than manufactured. External agencies were used only for media buying.

Regulatory Navigation

Working closely with legal and regulatory departments, every piece of content was vetted and approved for compliance with state insurance regulations—a complex requirement that the team built into the creative process without compromising emotional impact.

The initial campaign development took three months from concept to launch, with the first testimonial proving so compelling that it earned immediate executive approval and expanded budget to build the full omnichannel program.

THE RESULTS

The "Because We Care" campaign delivered exceptional business results across every key metric, validated by independent market research conducted before and after the campaign launch:

Business Growth

• 50% year-over-year sales increase during Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period following initial campaign launch

• Three consecutive years of record growth: +29% (2020), +27% (2021), +74% (2022)

• 105% sales increase over the two-year period

• Doubled qualified leads while improving lead quality

• Medicare became the only product line experiencing growth during this period

• Sales representatives reported customers specifically citing TV commercials as their reason for choosing WPS—an unusual direct attribution that validated the creative approach

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Brand Impact

Independent research by Leede Market Research demonstrated dramatic improvements across all brand metrics:

• 67% increase in unaided brand awareness (mind share)—WPS became top-of-mind for 23% of Wisconsin seniors, the highest level ever recorded in this type of study

• 260% increase in advertising recall in just five months (from 15% to 39% of seniors recalling WPS advertising)

• Brand recognition grew 10 points from 58% to 68% of Wisconsin seniors—meaning two-thirds of the target audience associated WPS with Medicare supplement insurance

• Unfamiliarity with WPS dropped from 46% to 31%, significantly reducing the brand awareness gap

• WPS ranked #1 as the Wisconsin company providing Medicare products

• Consistently ranked first or second across all key attributes including highest quality, value for the dollar, customer service, plans, and trust

• Nearly one in six study participants recalled the "Because We Care" campaign theme specifically

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Market Expansion

Campaign success enabled geographic expansion into Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio markets with television advertising supporting new market entry

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Industry Recognition

• 6 Telly Awards recognizing creative excellence in television advertising

• 16 regional ADDY Awards across multiple categories

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Team Performance

Improved overall team satisfaction and motivation (TOMO) scores well above organizational benchmarks, demonstrating that creative excellence and business results could be achieved while building an engaged, high-performing culture

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Executive Confidence

Campaign success led leadership to dramatically increase investment in advertising and marketing budgets, demonstrating trust in the strategic approach and creative execution. The campaign became a proof point for the commercial value of authentic storytelling and brand-driven growth.

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LEADERSHIP ROLE

Executive Partnership

Presented initial campaign concept (Jewel's testimonial) directly to CEO and executive team. The emotional power of the authentic storytelling earned immediate approval and expanded budget to build the full omnichannel program. Continued to present strategy updates and results to C-suite leadership throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Team Leadership

Built and led a 14-person creative department including:

• 3 multimedia photographers and videographers

• 4 graphic designers

• 4 copywriters

• 1 production manager

• 1 traffic manager

Fostered collaborative, high-performing culture that balanced creative excellence with business discipline and regulatory compliance.

Strategic Direction

• Championed omnichannel optimization strategy from concept through execution

• Developed sales engagement plan and customer panel for ongoing insights

• Leveraged existing partnerships with Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers to extend campaign reach and create seamless brand experience across live events

• Led creative development across all channels while ensuring brand consistency

  
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partnered closely with legal and regulatory teams to navigate complex healthcare marketing requirements. Worked directly with VP of Marketing and CEO to align creative strategy with business objectives and ensure organizational buy-in.

Budget Management

Managed creative production and team budgets, optimizing spend through in-house production while maintaining exceptional creative quality. Oversaw external agency relationships for media buying across expanding geographic markets.

KEY TAKEAWAY

The WPS Medicare campaign demonstrates how authentic storytelling, strategic differentiation, and disciplined omnichannel execution can drive exceptional business results even in highly competitive, regulated markets. By leading with compassion and genuine human connection rather than transactional messaging, WPS transformed its most profitable product line from stagnant to record-breaking growth—proving that creative excellence and business impact are not competing priorities, but complementary forces when executed with strategic discipline.