Problem & Goal

Manulife Financial needed a scalable, customizable tool to support its affinity clients—plan sponsors like Engineers Canada—who sell insurance products through association-branded microsites and landing pages. The goal was to create a Personalized Insurance Report (PIR) tool that could generate customized reports tailored to the needs of each sponsor while capturing valuable user information for research and lead generation.

This tool required:

• A flexible platform that allowed Manulife to customize questions, responses, and branding for each sponsor.
• Seamless alignment with Manulife’s overarching brand identity despite limited access to brand assets.
• A user-friendly microsite that engaged visitors and converted leads effectively.

Solution & Process

1. Scalable WordPress Platform
   • Built the PIR tool on a robust WordPress platform, enabling scalable customization for each plan sponsor.
   • Allowed for tailored user experiences, with customizable questions, responses, and report outputs unique to each sponsor’s audience.
2. Custom Microsite Development
   • Designed microsites for each plan sponsor, incorporating their association branding while maintaining a consistent connection to Manulife’s visual identity.
   • Ensured a seamless experience across microsites, enhancing usability and engagement for users.
3. Recreating the Brand From Scratch
   • Due to siloed operations within Manulife, we had limited access to official brand assets.
   • Reverse-engineered Manulife’s branding, including typography, color schemes, and UI patterns, to build a cohesive and on-brand user interface for the PIR tool and microsites.
4. Data Collection and Insights
   • Integrated a system to collect generalized user information, providing valuable insights to Manulife for research and lead generation purposes.

The Results

• Customizable Experience: Delivered a flexible PIR tool that allowed Manulife to customize reports and microsites for each plan sponsor, enhancing sponsor satisfaction and user engagement.
• Brand Cohesion: Successfully recreated and extended Manulife’s brand identity across the PIR tool and sponsor microsites, ensuring a consistent and professional experience.
• Scalable Solution: Built a WordPress platform capable of supporting multiple sponsors, making it easy for Manulife to expand the tool to additional affinity clients.
• Enhanced Research Capabilities: Enabled data collection through microsites, providing Manulife with valuable insights to refine their strategies and better serve their sponsors.

Core Strengths Highlighted in This Case Study:

• Strategic Problem-Solving: Developed a scalable tool that met the unique needs of Manulife’s diverse sponsor base.
• UI Design Expertise: Recreated Manulife’s brand identity from scratch, crafting a cohesive and engaging user interface.
• Customization and Flexibility: Delivered a platform that allowed for tailored sponsor experiences, improving usability and sponsor satisfaction.
• Creativity and Adaptability: Overcame challenges posed by siloed operations, using resourcefulness to deliver a brand-consistent and scalable solution.

‍