RADNOR, Pa., July 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relay (relaynetwork.com), a technology company that connects trusted brands to their customers on a private messaging app, hosted leaders within healthcare to discuss the macro trends influencing consumer behaviors and preferences and co-develop new strategies to deliver incredible experiences through improved communications. Attendees of the recent Summit, held in Philadelphia, included the industry's customer experience and member relations vanguards and those driving the shift toward customer-centric communications with Relay. Among the organizations represented were Independence Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Blues from the southern region, and several more organizations, which combined represent millions of consumers in the United States.
In his welcome address, Founder and CEO Matt Gillin talked about the radical transformation that has taken place in the way consumers connect and communicate today. "We are witnessing the fastest technology revolution in history. Mobile isn't the future. Mobile has already happened -- and it's happening faster than any predictions." He continued, "Connectivity in our personal lives is at an all-time high. As a result, the way we communicate has completely changed. We expect to get information quickly and easily, and we bring that same expectation to the businesses in our lives. Within healthcare, there's a continued focus on consumer-driven, value-based care -- one that puts the member in the middle. Getting there requires a whole new way to communicate."
Summit attendees shared and discussed best practices around leveraging Relay to make the shift to a "member-in-the-middle" communication model. They left with immediately actionable strategies for maximizing the value of their programs by increasing connectivity rates and driving more effective, customer-centric communications through the Relay channel.
"At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska we recognized that the way we've always communicated with our members is not the way we'll communicate with them in the future, because their needs and expectations have completely changed," said Nandita Dalal, director, customer experience at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. "Relay's model is very different. They apply the same easy accessibility to information that we're all accustomed to in our personal lives to the customer relationship. It's the only solution we've seen of its kind and we're excited to be among the first users of this technology that will help us deliver incredible customer experiences to our members."
Guest speakers included a cross-section of leaders within healthcare, financial services and marketing who each discussed the unique benefits of Relay. Independence Blue Cross, the first health payer to use the Relay solution, shared its program roadmap and how it reached nearly 800,000 connected members in just over two years. Blues from the southern regions shared how Relay has driven key consumer engagement initiatives and provided a new highly effective channel for driving critical behaviors.
In addition, Jamie Kennedy, senior vice president of Student Loans at Citizens Bank presented on how the same customer-first approach taken within healthcare can be applied to the financial services industry, which has similar requirements around privacy and security. Citizens Bank launched its Relay program in 2014 to establish a direct connection with student loan applicants in order to increase loan completion rates.
"Citizens Bank launched Relay to become digitally connected with each and every one of our student loan applicants at the moment the application is credit approved," said Kennedy. "Relay creates a secure, direct line of one-to-one communication between us and our customers, which has been impactful on our pull-through rates."
Ben Brake, president and co-founder of pre-eminent marketing and advisory firm Epic Research talked about the major changes happening within consumer preferences and how Relay is directly aligned with those preferences.
In his conclusion, Gillin recognized Summit guests as among the first to bring this innovative approach to healthcare. "Without a doubt, Blue Cross and Blue Shield is at the forefront of this shift and changing the trajectory of your businesses through improved communications. We're excited to be the partner that gets you there."
About Relay
Relay is a technology company that connects businesses and their customers on a private messaging app. We provide a unique and streamlined way for both sides to communicate and transact with each other that meets consumers' growing expectations for ease, simplicity and responsiveness. Built for the customer relationship first, Relay is designed for secure, valuable, two-way interactions. Over 1 million people every month use Relay to connect with companies within healthcare, financial services, insurance, energy, travel and hospitality, and more.
Headquartered in greater Philadelphia, PA, Relay is backed by NewSpring Capital and First Round Capital. For more information, visit www.relaynetwork.com or connect with Relay on Facebook and on Twitter at @Relayit. Relay, Relay Wire, and Wire are trademarks and service marks of Relay Network, LLC.