Motivating members to join a program and keeping them engaged requires more than technology. It requires effective strategy with the right on-the-ground initiatives and support to ensure smooth implementation. It combines the drivers of engagement, from program, benefits and incentive design to communications strategy, leadership support, and the setup of a strong Champs program.
We conducted a longitudinal analysis of our members in order to assess Vitality’s engagement across the four dimensions of engagement previously outlined:
- Breadth of Engagement: Over the last three calendar years, Vitality achieved an average of 63% of our eligible users registering for the Vitality program, as compared to industry averages of around 30%. Once registered, 82% of our members completed at least one points-earning activity each year.
- Depth of Engagement: 53% of Vitality members earned points each month. An independent analysis of app engagement demonstrated that Vitality has the highest 30-day app retention rate in the health and well-being engagement platform market at 68%. This is 107% higher than our average competitor. Engagement is also sustained over time, with an average of 38% of our members achieving Gold or Platinum Vitality Status over the last three calendar years. Our members also attest to regularly engaging, with 65% reporting that they see themselves using Vitality at least once per week over the next year.
- Quality of Engagement: Our approach to creating quality engagement derives from our Shared Value model – the engine that enable our core purpose of making people healthier. We strive to create value from targeted behavior change that reduces risk and then sharing that value with members through smart incentives that motivate behavior change. Vitality Points are our primary mechanism to incentivize members to participate in activities. As a member engages, points accumulate to determine their Vitality Status, and higher Status unlocks the ability to earn more rewards. Our program, by design, engages members in high-value activities and Vitality Status is more than just a measure of engagement – it also is a helpful proxy for health status and risk, and is therefore a good standard of quality of engagement. That’s why 38% of our members achieving Gold or Platinum Status represents frequent, sustained engagement and a substantial shift in health risk.
- Momentum of Engagement: Success in a program over time requires more than just initial activation success. It requires ongoing support in evaluating and improving strategy. It also requires expert guidance to use data and reporting most effectively to troubleshoot any areas for improvement. Effectively utilizing data is the first step, whether on-demand from a digital portal or a custom report on trends. Data should identify incentives that are working and those that aren’t, which population segments are engaging, how rewards are being redeemed, movements in health risk cohorts, detailed activity engagement and more. Regular surveys of members can derive insights into ongoing program successes and challenges. These data points should be consolidated to guide health and well-being strategies. At Vitality, the combination of industry-leading Wellness Strategy Managers, technology and actuarial-led reporting provides clients with the tools they need to maintain the velocity of their engagement.
We found that Vitality drives industry-leading health and well-being engagement, from initial enrollment to keeping members frequently engaged, to creating quality engagement in meaningful activities across populations. Vitality’s focus is on sustained engagement strategy guidance and a data-driven approach to create continuous improvement over time. The result is a significant health impact with improvements in population health, lower healthcare costs, and improved employee productivity. Our data demonstrates that Vitality drives inclusive engagement across demographics and social determinants of health.
Make sure to check out our previous blogs on defining engagement and driving engagement.
To learn more, download the 2022 Engagement White Paper.
