Blue Cross Blue Shield Case Study

Read the Blue Cross Blue Shield Case Study at the end of KDP Chapter 12. Discuss how BCBS could measure the results of their communications plan.  How could BCBS-NH measure their communication effectiveness with their own publics? How can BCBS-NH measure the relationships it has with local offices? Be specific.

In this case study it is mentioned that Blue Cross Blue Shield contains a diverse amount of independent franchises. While this may sound all well and good there may be an issue with what messages are being communicated with the public. This could have contributed to the overall issue the organization had in relation to its image. If the individual entities don't align with the message being broadcasted by the main organization then it leads to confusion and frustration. This is why it is important to ensure consistency in what the corporation is saying and what overall objectives it holds. With a better communication plan the organization can generate a better image for itself.

To measure the results of a communication plan BCBS can conduct surveys, pay attention to the news and media, and see what people are saying on social media and similar site. A good public relation and advertising campaign can make an organization more visible to generate a better idea on how people are reacting. It also has the benefit (assuming good things are being said) of more visibility. This will transfer to the local franchises such as BCBS-New Hampshire. BCBS-NH can conduct its own measures in relation to communication effectiveness with the public. I can't think of many instances where an organization hasn't given me the opportunity to share how I felt about an interaction. Surveys are common to measure effectiveness as well monitoring things like previously mentioned. These can also be conducted internally to get an idea of the relationship between the local offices. Regional offices can also be setup to better manage the communication and relationship between local entities, as well as serving as a bridge between them and the larger corporation. This is common among many national or global chains as it's nigh impossible for them to monitor the individual chains without some sort of hierarchy between them.