AMERIGROUP Corporation

Since 2004, CRT/tanaka has worked with managed health care provider AMERIGROUP Corporation on internal communications, media relations, community outreach and new-market entry strategy. To help AMERIGROUP revitalize its brand in its largest market, Texas, the agency implemented a bilingual outreach campaign targeting the state’s Hispanic community. The campaign tackled the issue of obesity in Hispanic communities by engaging families in a series of five “Reggae-TONE Your Body” events during the summer of 2006. The “Reggae TONE” series, which leveraged a popular new music genre called reggaeton, involved families in dance contests and encouraged children to adopt calorie-burning dance moves as a means of regular exercise. Parents and kids learned how to prepare traditional meals in a healthier manner with the help of a celebrity chef from Telemundo.

The “Reggae TONE” events provided opportunities for AMERIGROUP staff to connect with more than 2,600 members and potential members in key markets and garnered media coverage that reached nearly 1 million people through Hispanic newspapers, Univision and Telemundo, as well as general market broadcast and print outlets. In addition, the events resulted in a double-digit increase in market share in Austin, Texas.

Since CRT/tanaka began working with AMERIGROUP on new market launches in 2004, the company has seen its membership increase from 1 million members to 1.7 million members. The agency has contributed to the successful launch of AMERIGROUP programs in Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and New Mexico.

AMERIGROUP REGGAE-TONE YOUR BODY
(Hispanic Outreach Through Dance and Culture)

Challenge

AMERIGROUP Corporation provides health care coverage to 1.1 million low-income families in nine states and the District of Columbia. In Texas, AMERIGROUP’s largest market, the company had experienced several challenges:

• Growing competition as new providers entered the market;
• Low profile in the media, with no/limited media coverage for marketing-related activities; and
• Lack of face-to-face interaction with members, with the majority of communication taking place over the phone or through mailings.

When AMERIGROUP Corporation changed its name in its regional markets to AMERIGROUP Community Care, the company wanted to bring the new brand to life and demonstrate that AMERIGROUP Community Care is committed to helping improve the health of its members.

AMERIGROUP turned to CRT/tanaka to create events to reach Hispanic families, its largest constituency in Texas. The objectives for these events were to:

• Generate coverage and create relationships with Hispanic media (Web, print and broadcast) that could be leveraged in future marketing activities
• Increase member enrollment
• To demonstrate AMERIGROUP’s commitment to improving the health of its members

Research/Planning

Since AMERIGROUP’s core business is keeping its members healthy, CRT/tanaka worked with AMERIGROUP to identify key health issues in the Hispanic community.

After extensive research, CRT/tanaka recommended that AMERIGROUP take on the issue of obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, in the Hispanic community.

Solution

CRT/tanaka worked with AMERIGROUP to develop an event that would tackle the issue of childhood obesity, while strengthening its connection with the Hispanic community.

We leveraged a new genre of music that is gaining popularity in the Hispanic community called “reggaeton” to encourage kids to adopt high-energy dance moves as a way to get regular exercise.

The program, called Reggae-TONE Your Body/Ponte en Forma con Reggeton, encourages participants to get involved through dance lessons, a dance contest and a healthy cooking competition with a celebrity chef from Telemundo. In addition, it provided an opportunity for AMERIGROUP staff to connect with members and potential members.

CRT/tanaka held five Reggae-TONE Your Body/Ponte en Forma con Reggeton events in key markets throughout Texas (Dallas, Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston and Fort Worth) during the summer of 2006. Each event was held at a mall or community center located within a “hot zone,” an area with a strong concentration of Medicaid recipients. Outreach was conducted to community-based organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and local Hispanic groups. Additionally, PSAs ran on local radio stations.

Results

• AMERIGROUP experienced an increase in membership, including double-digit growth in Austin during June and July, the month of the event and the month after.
• AMERIGROUP was able to interact with 2,600 members and potential members.
• Media coverage reached nearly 905,000 people through Hispanic newspapers, Univision, Telemundo and general market television and newspapers.
• The events were an overwhelming success and AMERIGROUP’s marketing department expressed desire to make Reggae-TONE Your Body/Ponte en Forma con Reggeton an annual event.