In a first, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has launched a comprehensive insurance cover for pet dogs. Marking the brand’s foray in the same, WATConsult has conceptualised a new campaign on the same.
With the offering creating quite a chatter, we spoke to Chandramohan Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, on how the brand came up with the pet dog insurance, marketing plans for the unique offering and more. Moreover, we asked industry experts whether the insurance plan has bee marketed well with its current campaign.
According to Mehra, once the company identified the gap in the market it decided to take on it. “Health insurance, the most powerful risk mitigation product, covers expenses during medical exigency and is largely subscribed for self and family members. However, the health cover for pet dogs, an integral part of family, gets excluded. Treatment costs for pet dogs may not be affordable to a larger section of audience. Keeping this in mind, we introduced ‘Bajaj Allianz Pet Dog Insurance Policy’, India’s only retail comprehensive insurance offering for pet dogs.”
With premiums being as low as Rs 315, the policy covers pet dogs over the lifetime from age 3 months to 10 years. It consists of one mandatory cover namely Surgery Expenses and Hospitalization Cover and six optional covers i.e. Mortality Benefit Cover, Terminal Diseases Cover, Long Term Care Cover, OPD Cover, Theft/Lost/Straying Cover and Third Party Liability Cover.
Mehra says that the idea behind the ongoing campaign was to provoke the sentiment of caring in an engaging and authentic way. “Hence the agency created 'Caringly Paws', a campaign involving a 3-part thumb-stopper video series, showcasing how dogs do not leave behind any chance to care for their human and show compassion even if it is just by the way of their actions,” he explained.
Furthermore, Mehra states that given the nature of the product and the huge need gap, the response has been overwhelming, generating huge interest for this new category of insurance. Speaking about the marketing mediums the brand plans to leverage, he says that digital is most likely to occupy the lion’s share. “Given the profile of the core audience, digital will be the preferred means to amplify awareness about the product and create a buzz through social media,” he remarks. However, Mehra sees no reason why this product will not be sold well through traditional distribution channels such as agency, but acknowledged that there was a natural digital pull for this innovative product offering.
Paw-some or passable?
Brand strategist Ambi M G Parameswaran gives the spot a thumbs up and recollects a similar ad shot a couple of years back. “We have seen dogs fetching owners their chappals. In fact, I remember an ad our agency had made in the 1990s for Paragon Chappals that had the scene of the faithful friend fetching the chappal as the master and the Dog decide to go for a walk. The ad ran for more than four years on TV. The client being a dog lover helped, I suppose. This is an interesting extension of the concept. Nice chemistry between the dog and its master. Dog is concerned about the health of his/her master. Well done.”
However, Samit Sinha, Managing Partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, feels the creative really doesn't tick all the right boxes. “But given the increasing incidence of pet ownership and the corresponding proliferation of veterinarians, pet clinics, pet grooming facilities, pet foods and pet accessories, I will not be at all surprised to find enough takers for a medical insurance for their pets,” Sinha added.
Meanwhile Subodh Chaubey, Copy Partner at Infectious Advertising, feels it's interesting to see an insurance brand aim for a warm and comforting space in the minds of its audience. "It's a really sweet gesture for pet parents... to have somebody besides you care about your pet's health. I feel the films capture the purity of people-pet relationships beautifully. The dog puns, and cute interactions – it's super relatable content and strikes the right chord with dog dads and moms,” Chaubey points out.
According to Inderjit Singh Matharu, CEO & Founder - White Digital, the brand and agency could have really dug deeper on insights why the 'Indian' pet owner needs to insure his BF. “The video reinstates the universally known fact - dogs are the best. But, unfortunately besides that it does nothing for the product or the brand,” he remarked.