Case Study: Blue Shield Of California Uses Social Media To Engage Members

While many health plans toe-dip in the social media space by building a Facebook page or launching a Twitter feed, Blue Shield of California has taken the plunge with a more substantial initiative. In 2009, the portal team launched a Ratings & Reviews function that solicits and shares product feedback on its site. The team followed this successful launch with an Ask & Answer resource that invites members to ask questions about their plan and their health, delivering answers from Blue Shield experts and other members. With more than 1,000 customer touches across the two tools, the team is already driving important changes in both products and customer experience while supporting a brand position of transparency and openness. Customer experience professionals who want to follow Blue Shield of California's efforts can learn from how the team garnered broad organizational buy-in, moved quickly from concept to launch, and used insights to drive broad business value.