In the dynamic and highly competitive landscape of the healthcare industry, finding innovative ways to improve customer acquisition and retention is critical for success. For BlueCare, a leading healthcare brand under UnitingCare Queensland, a commitment to personalised patient care is paramount. Established in 1953, the organisation has a long-standing legacy of providing tailored care experiences to its patients, with their primary offering being government-funded Home Care packages.
However, in recent years, BlueCare has found itself navigating an increasingly complex and competitive market due to shifts in government regulations and funding. To maintain its position in this rapidly evolving landscape, BlueCare has embarked on a transformative journey to personalise their customer acquisition and service experience with first-party data.
This article presents a detailed case study of BlueCare's digital personalisation journey, exploring the challenges faced and the innovative solutions implemented to overcome these.
Market Challenges
Over the past few years, the healthcare market has become significantly more open, leading to increased competition. BlueCare has experienced this firsthand, with their ranking among government-funded providers dropping from first to third between FY20 and FY21.
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Source: KPMG 2022
The Personalisation Strategy
In response to these challenges, BlueCare embarked on a comprehensive transformation strategy, focused on visitation growth, lead generation, and conversion. This initiative aimed to deliver value-based health and community services while fortifying BlueCare's position as one of Australia's most trusted healthcare brands.
The transformation project had two primary objectives:
- Transform BlueCare's customer acquisition and conversion process to increase marketing scale and effectiveness.
- Support customers in obtaining the right care and navigating the funding process through the development of robust digital capabilities.
At the heart of the transformation was the enhancement of customer acquisition, conversion, and retention capabilities, leveraging their Sitecore platform.
The personalisation strategy was holistic, encompassing various aspects of the organisation, including brand experience, acquisition methods, customer service, operational processes, and community involvement.
A pivotal part of the personalisation transformation was transitioning their website from merely providing static content to offering a customer-tailored and journey-driven experience.
Solution: Leveraging technology to provide value
BlueCare's digital transformation journey has showcased the potential of utilising technology and data-driven insights in the healthcare sector. By implementing innovative solutions such as early user identification and personalisation based on unique situational user profiles of the acquisition funnel, BlueCare has effectively steered its path through the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, solidifying its commitment to delivering personalised and high-quality care.
At the forefront of their approach is the onboarding portal, which uses two-factor authentication (2FA) tokenised identification. This portal, tailored to simplify navigation for users seeking home care services, greatly eases the acquisition and lead generation process.
Using Sitecore XP and xDB in tandem with EXM, and integrating with Salesforce (in progress) and Twilio, BlueCare crafted an intuitive customer onboarding portal. This platform streamlines the needs assessment process, enhances personalised care services, and automates email communication, creating an exceptional user experience.
BlueCare's digital strategy incentivises users to share information about their care situation and personal data. The value of this approach lies in being able to identify and present relevant content to the users. The onboarding portal promotes personalised and situational care options and guides users through funding applications and associated service procedures. It also empowers users to review and control their data and preferences.
With a tailor-made journey for each user, the portal integrates an automated email program using Sitecore EXM. This feature helps bring attention to further articles and onboarding steps, guiding users over time through their care journey.
As a result of this approach, BlueCare garners high-quality leads from users who are not only convinced that BlueCare is the right partner for their care needs, but also feel well-informed about the application process.
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Graphic: Personalisation application for new traffic to lead conversation logic (Triggerfish)
Conclusion and What’s Next
BlueCare's digital transformation journey illustrates the tremendous potential of technology and data-driven experiences in driving sales, enhancing customer experiences, and improving business performance in an intensely competitive healthcare landscape. The key to BlueCare's success has been its innovation, particularly its personalised model of the acquisition process, which serves as a proof of concept (POC) for other brands and services.
In this rapidly evolving healthcare market, BlueCare continues to lead the way, demonstrating how technology can be leveraged to provide personalised, high-quality care and achieve business success.
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