PolicyBazaar’s Anupama integration generates 4x customer leads

Samir Sethi, head of brand marketing, reports fourfold web traffic surge to check term life insurance between 10-11 p.m. during the show's airing.

In a recent episode of the popular daily soap Anupama, a pivotal scene unfolds as the lead character's son delivers the heart-wrenching news of his friend's passing. The deceased friend was the sole provider for his family, and the son was deeply concerned about their welfare.

In response to this emotional revelation, the show's protagonist raises a critical question, "Did he not have term-life insurance?" Her son responds in the negative.

PolicyBazaar seized the opportunity to integrate itself into this poignant moment, leveraging the show's widespread popularity.

During this impactful scene, the protagonist underscores the vital role of term-life insurance, especially for young individuals who often prioritise expenditures on fashion and dining.

Drawing a parallel with the mandatory requirement of car insurance, she suggests that term life insurance should also be considered a necessity. Notably, the scene features a plug for PolicyBazaar, highlighting the brand's benefits.

As per the brand, it witnessed 4x customer leads during 10-11 p.m. when the show was on AIR. Samir Sethi, head of brand marketing, at Policybazaar, states, “For a lot of traditional brands, it becomes slightly difficult. But being an online brand, we can access a lot of data. The customer leads grew 4x in the 10 to 11 p.m. time band, as the show airs from 10 to 10:30. We witnessed a considerable jump in customer leads, indicating that people who saw the message were influenced by it. Their seriousness was such that they took the effort to visit the website and fill out a form to check the term insurance quotes available from different companies. From an ROI point of view, it has been a successful endeavour."

Term life insurance represents a core business for the brand, and in a country like India, it remains a low-penetrated category. A 2021 survey by Max Life Insurance revealed that only 32% of the population possessed term insurance.

The brand also placed the ad during the show break and did in-brand integration with the show. Sethi explains, “Anupama has been a popular show for many years among the masses, and we wanted to put the message of term life insurance to the masses. The term life insurance is about protecting the family’s future, and the show is viewed by the family during dinner or post-dinner. Through this, it turned out to be a conversation starter in the families which was our objective.”

He explains that ads come with their limitations, including constraints on duration. There is a limit to the information that can be stated about the product’s benefits. While integrating within the show, it offers an advantage of extended duration, allowing a deeper integration. 

He claims that Anupama has a loyal fan base, and viewers are deeply connected with the key character of the show. If a central character endorses the advantage of the product, the message resonates on a deeper level.

Anupama, as a show, has a TG of women, but in a country like India, we see insurance buying is majorly done by male society. How does this collaboration make sense? Sethi says, “The majority of Indian households are single-screen. There is one TV, on which everybody is watching, for a popular show like Anupama the primary target audience could be female, but it is viewed by an entire family. The product is for the benefit of the family. If they’re influenced by the message, then the whole message can have a conversation around it. The first step was to get into a household to have a conversation, and then the customers will have an intention to buy it.”

The online insurance company did its first integration with a daily soap and is currently planning to do more with Star Network. 

Recent trends have seen numerous brands integrating with blockbuster movies such as "Pathaan," "Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar," and "Jaawan." Are daily soaps more effective than movies for brand integrations? Sethi says, “ In the realm of integration, there are two distinct considerations. With feature films, time is a constraint, as it takes a lot of time in production and post-production. Additionally, the narrative of feature films sometimes becomes a hurdle for a particular product category. The storyline may not naturally accommodate the integrations of certain brands or categories. Daily soaps, particularly Anupama, focus on family dynamics and offer numerous opportunities for category integration.” 

“While cost-effectiveness plays a role, it isn't the primary driver in this decision-making process. The costs associated with integrating with TV shows or movies tend to be fairly comparable, especially for prominent shows like Anupama. What truly matters is the depth of integration achieved. In the case of Anupama, as mentioned earlier, we executed a substantial integration, spanning three to four minutes. In contrast, with movies, even if the cost remains roughly equivalent, or possibly slightly lower, it's unlikely that a feature film would allow for a three to four-minute integration. At most, movie integrations typically offer shorter durations, ranging from 10 to 30 seconds," Sethi adds.