Benenden facelift as it moves into open market

York-based Benenden plans to provide a wide range of insurance products, after undergoing a rebranding which aims to attract a bigger audience, according to Marc Bell, the mutual’s marketing and business strategy director,

Benenden expects to increase its staff numbers by around 10 per cent this year, while its turnover is expected to rise to between £80m to £90m in 2013.

Benenden currently has 230 staff in York, and its turnover in 2011 – which is the most up to date figure – was £71m.

The mutual, which currently has around 920,000 members, hopes to add 20,000 extra members this year.

Benenden was founded 108 years ago to provide treatment for postal workers who were suffering from tuberculosis.

Until last year, membership of Benenden was only available to public sector workers and their families, as well as staff from organisations “whose aims and objectives are compatible with the society”.

In June 2012, a decision was made at Benenden’s annual conference to remove this membership criteria, which gives it the potential to dramatically increase its market share.

A spokesman for Benenden said: “This means that all UK residents aged over 16 are eligible to join the organisation.

“That historic decision last summer means that, for the first time in its 108-year history, Benenden Health’s marketing team can now target the total UK population rather than just the public sector.”

As part of the rebranding, which was officially announced today, Benenden Healthcare has changed its name to Benenden Health, and it also has a new logo with the strapline “Because life is precious”.

A spokesman for Benenden also confirmed that Benenden Health’s subsidiary business – Benenden Insurance – will provide a wider range of insurance products, to add to Benenden Health’s core healthcare product.

The spokesman said that Benenden Insurance, which has appointed Jon Craven as its new managing director, aims to offer value for money and reflects Benenden’s “affordable and caring ethos”.

The spokesman said the timing of the roll-out for the launch of the new insurance products was still to be confirmed. Mr Craven, who joined Benenden in April 2012, held a number of senior management and executive positions within HBOS, where he established an intermediary distribution business. He later joined the management consultancy arm of KPMG.

Mr Bell said: “Significant brand changes are being launched in order to convey our vision of being the intelligent approach to modern healthcare and to introduce our offering of mutual, not-for-profit healthcare offering to a wider UK audience.

“We want to build a powerful brand positioning behind our distinctive mutual health and wellbeing proposition, that will help us stand out in an extremely competitive healthcare market.

“Our members’ vote has given us a massive opportunity for growth. Our goal now is to generate significant interest and reasons to join our mutual healthcare organisation.”

Mr Bell told the Yorkshire Post that the rebranding had been based on solid research.

He added: “We believe the members will be proud of it.

“We need to modernise and scale up our organisation. It’s a big thing, being on the open market.”

As part of the rebranding a new Benenden Health website has been launched.

Benenden is also launching a multi-million pound advertising campaign, which includes taking the brand on to television for the first time, with airtime bought by MediaCom.

The launch of the new brand also means that York City Football Club will have a new shirt.

Benenden is the main shirt sponsors for the League Two club, and as part of the re-branding, they have begun a ‘shirt swap’. City fans who bought a new shirt for the 2012-13 season will have those branded shirts replaced, free of charge, by Benenden Health.

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