One of the biggest insurers in the US had the foresight to disrupt its own business model before the politicians did it for them. Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield had been a business-to-business company for a century. Now it needed to understand its consumers if it wanted to thrive for another century.
CEO Mark Ganz recognized the need to go beyond actuarial tables and PowerPoint decks to truly comprehend the lives of their customers. He ask Sense Worldwide to help by introducing perspectives from The Sense Network.
To truly understand the healthcare landscape, we conducted contextual research and engaged with members of The Sense Network. This involved immersing ourselves in the experiences of individuals who embodied different perspectives on healthcare.
We worked closely with a ‘health tourist’ who flew to Singapore for an operation. Spoke to somebody who was getting informal diagnoses from a moonlighting health professional and then ordering prescription meds from Mexico. We hung out with a Hells Angel with many incurable conditions who rode his Harley through the Utah desert as a form of pain relief. It was a humbling, emotional journey, and it brought the Regence executives to some powerful epiphanies about their careers.
Through this transformative process, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield underwent a significant rebranding as Cambia Health Solutions, focusing on “quality of life services.” They introduced an award-winning wellness app and established a chain of gyms, positioning themselves as champions of America’s Quality of Life. The company’s shift in perspective and consumer-centric approach led to remarkable growth, with over 20 companies now under the Cambia Health Solutions umbrella and an annual gross revenue of $9.5 billion.
This strategic transformation garnered numerous accolades for Cambia Health Solutions, including recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere and being named among the Most Admired Companies in Health Care. The commitment to a positive approach to business and a deep understanding of their customers’ needs has set Cambia Health Solutions apart in the healthcare industry.
This is genius!
Chief Marketing Officer, Cambia
