#MARKiesAwards MY 2021 highlight: Kurnia and The Clan ask riders 'OK tak Ok?'

Taking home the bronze for creative agency of the year at this year’s Agency of the Year Malaysia and gold for Most Effective Use – Launch / Re-Launch for A+M's MARKies 2021 Malaysia is the Clan. The campaign for Kurnia Insurance was titled “ Motorcycle365 Comprehensive PLUS”.

Set to launch in August 2020, Kurnia had a new and more comprehensive motorcycle insurance with a higher coverage plan for motorbikes under 150cc called motorcycle365 Comprehensive PLUS. To match the higher price tag, the product claimed to offer a comprehensive coverage compared to most other products in the market. While on paper it was a good payoff, a study of the market highlighted a rather big problem

Challenge

Many Malaysian motorcyclists didn’t purchased insurance. As such, having to pay more for what many viewed as a mere legal prerequisite would be a big ask. This is compounded by a marketplace driven by price wars amongst insurance players - all offering the standard motorcycle insurance at the lowest price possible.

On top of all that, motorcycles under 150cc were one of the main modes of transportation for those in the B40 community - a price-sensitive demographic. The team needed an approach that would not just make an impression in the market, but shift mindsets to prioritise safety over price.

Strategy

In a largely undifferentiated marketplace, Kurnia worked with The Clan to make a mark amongst the B40 riders. Considering the budget, the team focused on motorcyclists aged 18-40 who were highly accessible via digital and social media platforms. Further narrowing the scope, the team sought out to find those who relied on their motorcycle both as a primary mode of transport and a source of income. As they would be on the road at a higher frequency than most, this target audience would be more likely to consider better coverage in the event an accident puts them out of commission. However, with an average income of RM3,000 and below, many in this segment would rather spend anything extra on their family’s needs or bike upgrades.

Kurnia Insurance needed to convey the importance of being protected, especially since Malaysian motorcyclists made up 64% of all Malaysian road fatalities. This required a shift in mindset when it came to motorcycle insurance, from financial burden to necessary safety net for the most at-risk motorists. The idea was that by changing the way motorcyclists thought about their safety, it would elevate the importance of having good riding habits as well as good insurance in equal strides.

To do so, The Clan helped Kurnia Insurance come up with a campaign that would position Kurnia as a brand that understood what motorcyclists went through on a day-to-day basis; the pride they had in their ride as well as the challenges they faced on the road.

With the challenge of convincing a price-sensitive demographic to pay more for better protection, the team looked to the community for inspiration.

Malaysia’s mat moto movement is a subculture of riders who love their bikes. For many, it is the most affordable form of literal and economic mobility, compounded by the rise of companies such as Grab and foodpanda who relied on the gig economy to deliver services to consumers. This built up a culture of brotherhood among motorcyclists who looked out for each other on the road, often the first to stop and check on a fellow motorist in an accident. In fact, they viewed other non-motorcycle road users as ‘outsiders’. This meant that the only way to connect with bike riders was by thinking, acting, and speaking like one.

This innate culture of care offered The Clan and Kurnia the platform to elevate motorcycle365 Comprehensive PLUS above other run-of-the-mill motorcycle insurance. By tapping into and building up this existing subculture, the team wanted to rally motorcyclists themselves to champion the importance of better roads and safety measures.

The team sought to become part of this brotherhood of riders by speaking their language and looking out for their safety.

Execution

As a part of this brotherhood, the team chose the phrase ‘OK tak OK’ (OK or not OK) as the campaign line to mirror the first phrase a rider says to another in distress. Much like their fellow riders, they can count on Kurnia to show up and ensure their safety through comprehensive insurance that better suited their needs, not just their want for cheaper insurance. Hence, the campaign ‘OK tak OK, Aku Ada Backup’ was a promise to motorcyclists that regardless of what they may face, they could always ride with peace of mind knowing they had the right backup with Kurnia.

To speak to this audience, social media platforms they frequented to consume content and keep in touch with fellow riders was used. Content and ads were created in their unique voice and language to build rapport with the audience. Tactical social and banners ads would then remind them about the product, driving them to the product page to learn more. Influencers who were popular in the motorcycling community and were riders themselves were also engaged. On-ground efforts would support the campaign, increasing the brand’s presence in places where motorcyclists would frequently congregate

The team started the campaign by planting the seeds of a movement that rallied motorcyclists to encourage each other to take their safety more seriously via the “OK tak OK” Facebook community page. To drive people to the page, on-ground roving crews consisting of fellow motorcyclists approached their peers. Here, they gave out stickers to gain their interest, which riders popularly used to personalise their helmets and vehicles. The roving crew also encouraged motorcyclists to share road safety messages with the hashtag #gengOKtakOK on social platforms. QR codes were used to direct them to the “OK tak OK” microsite, where they could easily access the community page. Communication materials were also placed in spots where motorcyclists congregated such as mamak stalls, workshops, and vape stores.

Simultaneously, a series of four ads featuring a mat moto character was launched in order to promote the four main USPs of the product respectively. Each ad was under a minute, shot against a green screen, and purposefully slapstick to mirror the content style that was popular amongst the target demographic. Highly accessible and a go-to for their content fix, Facebook was instrumental in ensuring our ads would be seen by the intended audience through careful targeting. YouTube Trueview ads were also used to maximise reach and recall. Other digital placements such as banner ads were also deployed, serving as a callback for the audience who had visited the product page or saw the ads.

The team worked with Hafizh Syahrin (Malaysian motoGP racer) and Zul Huzaimy (actor in motorcycle-themed movies like Mat Moto and Remp-It, and founder of motoring enthusiast club Spark Malaysian Club) to highlight the importance of being safe and protected on the road. They served as the “hardsell” aspect of the product. Coincidentally, during the campaign period, Hafizh attended the Austrian Grand Prix where he was involved in an accident. The team took the unfortunate incident and turned it into a teaching moment on the importance of safety measures for motorcyclists through his postings.

There was also a giveaway for those who had already purchased the product to demonstrate the team’s interest in the community. Prizes included a Yamaha Y15ZR, Finland Shield locks (a specialised, expensive, and highly popular brand of motorcycle locks), helmets, and petrol vouchers. This served as a carrot for those who had to renew their insurance during the campaign period, while appealing to value seekers.

Results

At the end of the campaign, the team managed to increase the number of policies sold by 26% (benchmarked against Kurnia’s regular motorcycle insurance) compared to the same period last year. With the objective of a 5% growth, the results exceeded expectations by five folds. In a product category where it is notoriously hard to engage customers, double-digit growth in three months was a significant uplift by industry standards of below 3%. With that, Kurnia managed to increase its gross written premium by 27%.

To top it off, new policies purchased for motorcycle365 Comprehensive PLUS exceeded the regular-priced product at a split of 65% to 35%, indicating success in convincing the audience to put safety before cost, with a demographic that was most affected by thee conomic situation to boot. These results were no mean feat. Not only did it exceed industry standards for year-on-year growth hundreds of times over during a normal year, it did so at a time when the General Insurance industry was expected to contract due to the effects of the pandemic.

Working with a set digital media budget, the had an estimated reach of 1,093,750 people. At the end of the campaign period, the campaign had garnered a reach of 1,975,528 on social media and digital platforms, exceeding the estimated reach by a whopping 80%. The four videos alone gained 1,042,103 views, exceeding the initial estimated views by 264%.This served as a testament to how effective the content was, and how the media that would support it reminded the audience of the product, be it through influencers, tactical social ads, or the humble banner ad.