How developed must a marketing plan be for a health micro-insurance scheme?

Tentative Answer

The level of development of a marketing plan for HMIS depends on two factors: the nature of the market and the level of sophistication of the micro-insurance institution. Because health micro-insurance is a relatively new concept, most markets can be characterized as “new markets”, with little or no available health insurance and little effective demand for health mutual organizations. The focus of the marketing plan is therefore on developing appropriate products and creating a market for insurance products in general.

In terms of the type of marketing program, for an HMIS in the early stages of development with limited financial resources, an elementary or basic marketing programme is feasible. It focuses on identifying who its potential members are, where they are located, how to adapt basic packages, and how to communicate with memberss. At this level, the marketing programme consists of defining a target market, promoting a single product and possible slight variations on that product, and informally collecting information on members.

Adapted from:Marketing in Microfinance Institutions. Technical Note No. 2. Bamako 2000: Innovations in Microfinance. Development Alternatives and Wiedemann Associates.