DESJARDINS
Reimagining insurance acquisition, one click at a time
In a market shaped by rising costs and tighter regulation, Desjardins reimagined its insurance acquisition strategy. A joint taskforce rolled out a value-based bidding model, shifting SEM investments toward high-value prospects. The result: acquisition targets hit 4.5 months early and lasting improvements in media efficiency.
Services
- CRM & Lifecycle
- Digital Transformation
- Content & Engagement
- Marketing Science
Brief
Desjardins needed to turn paid search into a driver of profitability—no small feat in a highly regulated and economically constrained environment. The goal was to modernize Desjardins’ digital marketing strategy to improve profitability in a high-volume market, without compromising commercial performance.
Problem to Solve
The insurance industry is facing a perfect storm: inflation, high interest rates and tight regulatory oversight in Ontario. For Desjardins, this meant low conversion rates and costly, inefficient SEM campaigns. The challenge was to move away from a volume-based media approach and toward one focused on long-term value, all while navigating risk aversion and pressure to deliver immediate results.
Solution
In collaboration with Desjardins, we created a strategic taskforce to turn paid search into a profit engine. A value-based bidding program was deployed to prioritize higher-value prospects by integrating new performance signals. Four campaign iterations were launched within a structured test-and-learn framework to manage risk and ensure buy-in from internal teams at every step.
Results
Within just two months, the VBB model was fully adopted across Ontario campaigns following a successful A/B test. The strategy hit annual quote targets 4.5 months ahead of schedule. High-value insurance quote volume increased through SEM, supported by the creation of a cross-functional taskforce focused on continuous performance improvement.
100%
Adoption of the VBB model in Ontario within two months of launch
4,5
Months ahead of annual quote targets
1
Permanent cross-functional taskforce spanning actuarial, analytics, media, and go-to-market strategy
