#PRAwards 2021 spills: Prudential SG remains steadfast in serving financial needs as it turns 90

Prudential tackled the challenges of 2020 together with PR agency Fiftyfull, and unveiled its #Bringon100 – Do life on your own terms campaign. The insurer aimed to inspire Singaporeans to seize opportunities and chart a life journey that is true to their calling. Targeted at Millennials and young adults, the campaign did well to engage relevant KOLs and also gained chatter among consumers. This led to the duo securing the bronze award for Best Use of Micro and Niche Influencers at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's PR Awards 2021. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, head of corporate affairs, Prudential Singapore, Tan Ping Ping (pictured), shared about the brand's proudest achievement in 2020, and what communications trends she sees potentially being carried on post-pandemic. 

This interview is done as part of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s winners and finalists’ interview series for PR Awards 2021. To find out more about the awards, click here.

What would you say was the biggest accomplishment for the whole PR/communications community in 2020?

Tan: During the pandemic where there was much apprehension about COVID-19, the PR/communications community helped to spread positivity with many engaging campaigns and initiatives on COVID-19. This included Prudential Singapore’s PRUCare campaign. Our PRUCare package was set up to provide support to about one million customers and the community-at-large that were affected by COVID-19. In all, we gave out nearly SG$3.5 million in cash benefits and donations, more than double the amount committed.

During the pandemic, there was a lot of "fake news" circulating about the virus and healthcare in general. To combat this, the PR practitioners worked to ensure access to clear and correct information. When we launched Pulse by Prudential, our digital health and wellness app, in Singapore, our marketing campaign focused on creating awareness of fake news and driving people to official and reliable sources of information. The three key Pulse features; health check, symptom checker and video consultation with a doctor enabled users to access health information and services, and to stay safe at the peak of the pandemic.

What would you say was your proudest achievement of the year?

Tan: As an insurer, we are committed to helping Singaporeans to live well for longer, in line with our purpose of helping people to get the most out of life. In a year that was not business as usual, we stayed true to our purpose. From PRUCare to Pulse, our campaigns focused on caring for our people, customers and the community, and helping everyone stay safe and healthy.

In 2020, we also launched our Saving for 100: Funding longevity in a time of uncertainty study. Based on its findings, we launched the #BringOn100 social media campaign which aimed to motivate Singaporeans to view longevity as an opportunity and embrace it with courage and positivity. Our #BringOn100 social campaign won the bronze award in the Best Use of Micro/Niche Influencers category at the 2021 PR Awards by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

It is heartening that #BringOn100 evolves the conversation we began with our Ready for 100 campaign launched in 2018. It dives into how our longer lifespans not only provide unique opportunities but also demand a shift in mindset from living the traditional three-stage life to embracing multi-stage living, and a reimagination of the way we live and work.

What are some communications trends you see carrying on post-pandemic?

Tan: The way of working has evolved with the pandemic, and we are seeing a hybrid working model with less face to face interactions. This makes it important to engage our employees and maintain open communication in order to ensure business continuity and wellness in the workplace.

Virtual communication tools have flourished as people stay home due to the pandemic. Prudential Singapore has started on this digital journey with the use of Microsoft Teams since 2018. More recently, we have enhanced our intranet site and introduced new tools such as the Miro online whiteboard for visual collaboration which further enable our people to work efficiently, and to collaborate and connect with each other.

Due to the pandemic, safe management measures have made it challenging to organise physical events or activities. For example, the size of live audience at events and film crew for video shoots have been reduced to minimise physical interactions. Many events and filming are now taking place virtually using webinar platforms such as Zoom and recording software such as QuickTime Player app.

This has also challenged us to be more creative in our communication so we can continue to engage the audiences. At Prudential Singapore, we have been using interactive features such as live Q&As, polls and quizzes in our virtual townhall meetings with our employees and financial consultants. Post the pandemic, we will continue to see a mix of virtual, hybrid and in-person communications. Harnessing the strengths of various platforms will enable us to reach out to different audiences and communicate more effectively.

How will the role of communications professionals evolve as we move into a rather uncertain future?

Tan: Having good written, visual and presentation skills is no longer enough. We must also adopt a future-ready mindset and diversify our skillset to prepare for the future. Capabilities in areas such as data and digital will be essential to communication professionals and help them to understand and meet the changing expectations of our audiences.

What can we expect from your company in 2021?

Tan: As Prudential Singapore celebrates our 90 year anniversary this year, we remain steadfast to serving the financial needs of Singapore and helping our customers live well for longer by taking care of their health and wealth needs.

With life expectancy rising in Singapore, we will continue to create awareness and conversations on longevity and preparing for an extended lifespan. The pandemic has also created an increased awareness among Singaporeans to take care of their health and to plan for their future, and we are here to help people prepare for the challenges ahead. For example, we will be introducing more health and wealth features in our Pulse app to help users take charge of their physical, mental and financial well-being.