Apollo Munich Health Insurance: Insuring against negativity

Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company, the joint venture between Apollo Hospitals Group and Munich Health of Germany, has come out with a new mass media campaign.

Formerly known as Apollo DKV Insurance, the company has earmarked close to Rs 15 crore on the campaign to promote the need for health insurance and communicate its expertise in the sector. It is a part of the company’s rebranding initiated in December 2009. The company feels that Apollo is synonymous with high-quality healthcare and Munich Health is a pioneer in health risk management. So, the new name has greater brand recall than the previous one.

“We are in the process of expansion and so we want to create a brand for ourselves at this stage. Our new campaign is in line with our new name and is aimed at establishing a brand which will reflect our strong foundation and build greater familiarity with consumers as we grow our business,” says Apollo Munich Chief Executive Antony Jacob.

The campaign focuses on the easy process that Apollo Munich offers people who seek comprehensive health insurance. The theme is built around the phrase “Let’s uncomplicate”. The campaign is a series of four commercials which will project Apollo Munich as a user-friendly and hassle-free health insurance company. The first has been conceptualised by JWT and has been directed by Shashank Chaturvedi of Good Morning Films.

The commercial is a mix of visuals and voiceovers that try to address healthcare concerns and establish the company’s expertise in providing solutions. Four major messages convey that Apollo Munich can take “the fear out of faces”, “the jargon out of words”, “the bitter out of medicine” and “the trouble out of treatment”. These messages are clearly spelt out in the commercial with visuals. The visuals have been given a serene treatment that seeks to reflect happy emotions of people from various walks of life. The idea is to dispel the negativity that is associated with healthcare and insurance.

The company has registered an almost 100 per cent increase to Rs 115 crore in premium income in 2009-10 and expects to maintain the pace of growth with a target of Rs 200 crore in the next financial year. “We want to continue with a growth rate of around 100 per cent in our premium income for the next four to five years,” says Jacob. “Currently there is a lot of confusion in the mind of the potential consumer regarding the need for health insurance. We want to inculcate a sense of understanding and clarity by ensuring transparent policies and easy claims.”

With only one other standalone health insurance company, Chennai-based Star Health and Allied Insurance, Apollo Munich is targeting a market that has no significant competition. With only 3 per cent penetration of health insurance in India and around 80 per cent patients paying out of their pockets, the sector is poised to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years.