nib signs up Benji Marshall for new campaign
Tower Health adds to the bottom line of its new owner, and plans a direct to consumer marketing campaign using rugby convert Benji Marshall.
Tuesday, August 27th 2013, 10:20AM 
6 Comments
Listed Australian health insurer nib says the Tower Health business it boughtlast year added $8 million (A$6.4 million) to the group’s pre-tax net underwriting profitfor the year to June 30.
The New Zealand profit reflected seven months of operation since nib completed the acquisition of TOWER’s health arm in November.
“As forecast, the acquisition was EPS accretive in FY13, with nib New Zealand contributing about 9% of group operating profit,” nib said in an announcement to the Stock Exchange.
“This is a very pleasing result and confirms that New Zealand will become an increasingly important part of nib’s earnings base,” nib New Zealadn chief executive Rob Hennin says.
Hennin says the acquisition and integration of the business into nib has gone smoothly and the company is now planning “a very heavy investment in brand and marketing” for later in the year.
He says it will include a direct-to-consumer product offering.
“To support this we have appointed Benji Marshall as the brand ambassador to front nib New Zealand’s marketing and advertising campaign,” he added.
“We think Benji is a great fit for our company and our brand. And with him returning to New Zealand to play rugby with the Auckland Blues next season, we saw this as a great opportunity,” Hennin said.
nib managing director Mark Fitzgibbon says there are plenty of opportunities for the company in New Zealand.
“With just over 30% of New Zealanders having health and medical insurance, compared to almost 50% in Australia, we see a great opportunity to grow industry participation and snare our lion’s share of this increase,” Fitzgibbon said.
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When you see nib and Benjj in action together later in the year I hope you'll see that we will be quite different from the rest of the pack.
Rob Hennin:CEO nib New Zealand
What I say is a fact, and the illusion created is the care quality, which is a myth.
The problem today is that because the insurance industry simply followed along, the public have a price problem
When I first became involved in health insurance 50% of the public had health insurance, most paid for by themselves. Take the group market away and we are nearer 25%
The health insurance market have been foolish to try to run a private system in parallel with the public system, rather than comlementary. Dumb
And of course the smaller players have spent their whole time trying to knock Southern Cross. Also dumb
Yes Rob I sincerely hope you are right
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We have Stacy Jones selling loans in a flash, so then we have Michael Jones selling Cigna's overpriced cover and now we have an All Black fronting Health Insurance - Do me a favour - they have to take their boots off to count to 11
EDITOR'S NOTE - Benji ain't an All Black yet and hasn't even played a Union match. He has captained the League team though.