Thai insurer targets introverts with emotional ad that promises no sales calls /

A smooth ride / By releasing an emotive campaign that emphasises its 100% online service, Hey Goody was able to communicate how buying insurance from its brand can be a more frictionless experience for introverted people, or anyone averse to sales calls. 

Hey Goody is an online-only offshoot of the Thai insurance broker Ngern Tidlor, which according to its website has become the second-largest broker in Thailand – just six years after it was founded. While the umbrella brand may be well known, Hey Goody is a relatively lesser-known quantity having only launched in 2023. Getting people to change insurance providers is a tricky task, one made harder when entering the market as a new brand. In fact, in Thailand getting people to take out insurance at all can be a challenge given that a 2021 survey from Standard Insights revealed that only 46% of Thai people have vehicle insurance, and only 16% have travel insurance (both products that Hey Goody offers). 

However, as behavioural science expert Richard Shotton told Contagious in a 2023 interview: ‘It’s often far easier to change behaviour by removing friction than it is to change behaviour by motivating people to want to change.’ Given that insurance is often regarded as a necessary evil it may be difficult for Hey Goody to paint its product as a joyful investment. What may be more effective is to show why its services are simply less painful than many competitor options. According to the Standard Insights survey as many as 71% of Thai people say they prefer to purchase insurance online. For people dreading the idea of having to do hours of research around providers, only to be called by tens of companies reaching out with quotes, Hey Goody could stand out as an easy option and a way to avoid unnecessary stress.

Power of storytelling /  By releasing a spot that tells a moving story around a personality trait that is largely discouraged in Thai society, Hey Goody shows that it has more understanding than the typical insurer. Given the inherent importance of the things that people choose to insure, insurance should be an emotive industry – but it so often isn’t, with price and convenience being the focus. 

Even for those who do take out insurance policies, it’s not something you ever want to have to use. The best-case scenario is you sign up, pay your annual or monthly fee and forget about it until your renewal date comes back around. Naturally, this makes it difficult for insurance companies to create any positive consumer interaction points outside of how they manage claims. With this campaign, Hey Goody shows how telling a relatable emotional story can catch people’s attention regardless of who is behind it. It’s an impressive feat for a brand to achieve 3 million YouTube views and it makes for a valuable opportunity for Hey Goody to build associations as a more compassionate insurer among the internet-loving consumers its services most appeal towards.

The campaign also taps into the Contagious trend of Untold Stories, the observation that brands are increasingly using their platform to increase awareness of lesser-represented experiences. Insurance often pertains to concrete observable things such as possessions or injuries, it is less associated with awareness of mental health. By shining a light on a group of people who suffer from societal expectations to act in a way that doesn’t feel natural to them, Hey Goody stands out versus competitors and establishes a caring persona for its young brand.