UK Insurance Company

Based on more than 500 hours’ worth of customer conversations, we have developed a rigorous framework for literature testing."

Our client is one of the largest mutual insurers in the UK, employing over 3,000 people.

As part of the thematic review into the fair treatment of long-standing customers in the life insurance sector, our client conducted research to understand how customers read their statements, including gaining reactions on several potential new formats.

New statements have been designed based on the research feedback with the objective of:

• Being more user friendly – easier to read
• Increasing engagement – encouraging reading
• Increasing clarity to help customers take appropriate action

The Challenge

The company’s objective was to ensure all customer literature —including marketing brochures, quotations, fund fact sheets, Ts&Cs, KFI/ KIID and charges information — was clear, easy to understand and treated customers fairly.

Product literature and documentation plays a vital role in helping customers understand and make informed purchasing decisions on financial products. Our client’s literature and comms needed to:

• Satisfy FCA requirements from a “Treating Customers Fairly” perspective
• Engage and empower customers
• Promote the provider brand and reflect the core values and unique strengths of the organisation

Financial products can be complex and technical; sometimes jargon is unavoidable.

Our approach

Based on more than 500 hours’ worth of customer conversations, we developed a rigorous framework for literature testing, looking at:

• The context in which literature/ documentation will be read/ used and how it interacts with other literature/ documentation. Is the purpose of the literature fully understood?
• How well can customers engage with, understand and use the literature documentation provided?
• Is the structure and flow in line with customer thought processes and information needs?
• How well is the document organised for ease of navigation?
• Is the style and grammar appropriate for the target audience?
• Does the layout and design engage the reader and aid understanding? Could colour coding and visuals be used instead of dense text?

The outcome

After meticulous testing and reviewing, our client now has a communications and literature suite that is clear, fair and aids customers in making decisions about their products, as well as demonstrating to the FCA that the literature treats customers fairly.