Campfire Stories paying big dividends for Modern Woodmen

Modern Woodmen of America’s “quirky” Cookie and Pioneer television and billboard campaign, which launched in November, is already collecting some impressive statistics. They include having been viewed 22.6 million times by the end of 2023. Importantly, too, the social media influencer component of the fraternal benefit organization’s first-ever major national brand campaign also had reached […]

Modern Woodmen of America’s “quirky” Cookie and Pioneer television and billboard campaign, which launched in November, is already collecting some impressive statistics. They include having been viewed 22.6 million times by the end of 2023. Importantly, too, the social media influencer component of the fraternal benefit organization’s first-ever major national brand campaign also had reached more than 1 million working moms. That audience is the chief target of the Rock Island-based Modern Woodmen’s online and digital advertising efforts.

“We are most excited that our commercial has been played 22.6 million times online and on connected TV, as well as aired nearly 24,000 times on TV,” Leah White, Modern Woodmen’s director of enterprise marketing & communications, told the QCBJ recently. “That was just in November and December and is a powerful step in increasing our name and brand recognition.” And she hopes those totals are just the beginning. “We are anxiously awaiting the first set of preliminary data which will be available in early February,” she added. “The enthusiasm and buzz around the campaign gives us confidence as we wait.” In addition, Ms. White said in that Jan. 10 email interview, “We’ve had a warm reception to the campaign locally, and we’re thankful for the support. We’re proud our national headquarters is in the Quad Cities and appreciate the opportunity to be part of this community. We strive to be a household name in our area and beyond, and we’re grateful for the enthusiasm and excitement you’ve shared with us!” The buzz locally and nationally has been apparent from the launch of Modern Woodmen’s “Campfire Stories,” which feature a pair of grizzled pioneers named Pioneer and Cookie observing and lauding pioneering modern-day moms.  The “stories” also carry the tagline, “Modern since 1883,” to marry the fraternal benefit society’s pioneering roots with today’s moms’ more modern focus. “With such a unique name and history, addressing it head-on in a modern way just made sense. People know our name here in the Quad Cities, but they’re not always familiar with what we do. The campaign aims to address that,” Ms. White said in an earlier news release from Modern Woodmen. The timing of the campaign also was no accident. “Modern Woodmen’s strategic focus is on growth,” Ms. White told the QCBJ previously. “We were looking for a significant opportunity to connect with a very targeted audience to build our brand and help us grow.” She added: “We’re a membership organization, and we aim to grow for generations to come. The life insurance category is crowded and includes some of the biggest advertisers in the country. Creating awareness and driving consideration for our brand is critical for our growth.”

Is the campaign working?

The TV, billboard and radio campaign clearly is being noticed, according to the latest available statistics Ms. White shared with the QCBJ. Consider that, in just under two months – from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31, 2023 –  the campaign had scored: • 22.6 million+ online and connected TV video completes (completes equal the number of times a video is watched to the end). • 48.2 million total impressions delivered. • 1.6 million listens on Spotify for audio ads. • Nearly 24,000 TV spots aired.

At the same time, Modern Woodmen’s pair of well-known, connected moms and social media influencers – Iowa native and Olympian Shawn Johnson and popular mom influencer Veena Crownholm – also have been busy “putting our brand in front of a lot of people,” Ms. White reported. “Our influencers have each posted once so far.” Those posts resulted in: • 1.1 million campaign impressions. • 12,711 campaign engagements. “Both women are moms, exemplify our brand values, have a strong social media following, and are enthusiastic about working with us,” Ms. White said shortly after the campaign’s launch and after Ms. Johnson shared an Instagram ad in which she and her husband Andrew East talk about the importance of life insurance with their followers. When asked why online content by the Modern Woodmen brand’s influencers is so important to its current historic campaign, Ms. White said, “Social influencers’ opinions carry a tremendous amount of weight with our target.”  For example, she said: • 61% of consumers trust product and service recommendations they get from influencers; this number is even higher among Gen Z and Millennial moms. • Eight out of 10 consumers have purchased something after seeing it recommended by an influencer. Ms. White said Modern Woodmen also is pleased that the multimedia campaign – that includes billboards, TV and digital campaigns – appears to be reaching the fraternal benefit society’s target audience of historically uninsured and underinsured moms.  “It’s really unfortunate and something we’re passionate about changing,” she said of the lingering large coverage gap. “Moms drive American households, and we know they’re a powerful connector for their families. The loss of a parent is catastrophic, and we want to help families make sure they have a safety net should the worst happen,” Ms. White said. “While it’s unpleasant to think about that possibility, it’s something we must prioritize talking about to empower moms with peace of mind. Moms are busy, and they need to have a partner they trust to help make these important decisions.” In a post titled “Women and Insurance: The Scary Truth,” Modern Woodmen’s website also sought to show how significant the insurance deficit can be for the families that those uninsured or underinsured moms would leave behind.

How scary is the gap?

Here is a sampling of the data collected and shared in that post: • 44% of women have no life insurance. • Nearly four in 10 women are the primary breadwinners for their families. • $160,726 is how much life insurance women have on average. • $206,357 is the average life insurance men have. • 5.25 million is the number of  U.S. women who are stay-at-home moms.  • $120,000 per year is the amount those stay-at-home moms would charge in the private sector for the duties they do while at home, according to a recent survey by salary.com.  • 60% of U.S. households are dual-income, and adequate life insurance is needed by those families if they are to maintain their current lifestyles should tragedy strike. As the early statistics for the Modern Woodmen viewership show, the ads’ message about the need for women to be fully insured appears to be hitting the people targeted. And they’re not the only ones taking notice of the unique brand campaign.

Ads still turning heads

AdAge’s Ted Nudd wrote in the influential advertising media outlet on Nov. 21, 2023, “The unusual name is an obstacle in some ways, but also an opportunity as the company embarks on this first major branding campaign in its 140-year history.” The ads were created by the Cronin agency. Eric Silver, Cronin’s CEO, told AdAge, “It is such a quirky name. We spent time figuring out the best way to overcome that and create an emotional connection for the brand.” On its website, the independent Connecticut-based Cronin advertising agency also called the campaign “New work with an old-timey spirit!”  And Cronin described the project this way: “Modern Woodmen, a life insurance and financial services company, has been around since the pioneer days of 1883. Now, for their first large-scale marketing campaign, we leaned into their history to tell a story about today’s true pioneers: hard-working moms who want the best for their kids. And we told this tale in whimsical pioneer fashion, with a campaign that truly stands out in its field. Um, make that prairie.” One result of that effort was the television spot highlighted by AdAge. It was directed by Brian Billow of O Positive. Mr. Billow has a background in comedy, Mr. Nudd wrote, and he “struck the balance between lighthearted and informative, making the brand feel approachable and fun but not too silly.” The social influencer campaign also has netted Modern Woodmen some strong and welcome results since it began rolling out on Dec. 6 and was designed, the campaign said,  “to further honor and reach today’s modern pioneers – moms.”  A visit to Modern Woodmen’s website also makes clear why an organization that supports families and communities is working hard to sell an old name to a new generation of customers.  “Yes, our name is Modern Woodmen of America. But women of today, we get you. We see you and all that you do. You have the grit and resourcefulness of the pioneers of yesteryear and, well, we want to tell your stories. “Our new advertising campaign honors women by telling their stories by the campfire, like pioneers have done for generations. Timeless, and timely, stories that celebrate the common values of financial security, quality family life and community impact.”