In this installment of our "Best Practices" series, we focus on how Skandia Colombia tackles their marketing, with emphasis on its online magazine aimed at customers and prospective clients, and the magazine’s place in the company’s marketing strategy.
Skandia Holding de Colombia S.A. is a financial services, insurance and pensions marketing company. It also offers financial planning and savings and investment consulting services. Skandia is part of the Old Mutual Group, a financial conglomerate with operations in five continents.
Marketing
Skandia uses the "Customer Centric" model, divided into five areas:
– Customer Growth
– Customer Experience
– Intelligence and Brand
– Product
– Communications
Skandia’s Communications Department is responsible for designing, implementing and monitoring strategies and communication tools for distributors and customers, as well as positioning the company in the media and among opinion leaders.
One of the instruments Skandia uses for its marketing is its online magazine,
The Intelligent Investor.
Distribution
The magazine is free and distributed quarterly, and aims to provide content that informs its customers about the current economy and finance, as well as advise clients on savings and investments topics.
Objectives
To establish a position within the industry and build relationships with Skandia's customers and opinion leaders. To build an investor profile based on Skandia's financial advice, framed in a context of trust, growth and peace of mind.
Content
The magazine features articles on economics, finance, savings and investment. It also offers interviews, successful case studies related to the company's strategic business, and editorials.
The magazine is published online on the Skandia website and on the company’s intranet.
Skandia reports the following benefits from its online launch:
• Savings: Reduced printing and distribution costs.
• Universality and accessibility of information.
• Interactive: Allows for direct and immediate contact with readers.
• More available resources to introduce multimedia elements, new designs, and applications such as video, audio, virtual reality and diverse formats.
• Ability to display other newsletters and media developed by Skandia.
• Readability statistics.
• Digital preservation. Material repository.
Results:
• More than 300,000 pages created since its launch in 2008
• More than 23,000 visitors since its launch in 2008
• More than 10,000 site visits in 2009
• A survey on different magazine topics is included in order to obtain reader feedback.
• An iPhone app for the magazine was recently launched.
