How Baloise successfully tested WhatsApp as a Customer Touchpoint with an Interactive Easter Puzzle
Key points of the project
- Industry: Insurance
- Use case: Real-world implementation
- Channel: WhatsApp
- Primary goal: Test the acceptance of WhatsApp as a direct communication channel and analyse user interaction through a playful, multi-day campaign
The challenge
Baloise Insurance Switzerland wanted to find out whether WhatsApp could serve as an effective, direct communication channel for its target group.
The central question: Are users willing to interact with an insurance brand in a playful way via WhatsApp? Instead of abstract surveys or lab tests, Baloise opted for a low-threshold, playful approach – a multi-day Easter quiz with interactive storytelling elements. The focus was on simplicity, a guided user experience and sustained interaction over several days. The campaign also served as a practical test of the effectiveness of WhatsApp newsletters.
The approach
Memacon provided both strategic consulting and creative implementation, working with a business solution partner and the agency dreifive. The result: a multi-day, interactive WhatsApp puzzle in which users could click through a personalised story every day. Branching decision paths ensured individual experiences, while the distribution of content over several days enabled targeted use of the newsletter and systematic analysis of engagement. The format was deliberately kept simple and entertaining to ensure participation without technical hurdles.
WhatsApp newsletter functionality in practice
Every day between 9 and 10 a.m., participants received a newsletter message with the next chapter of the puzzle – a time that proved crucial for quick responses. The interactivity and personalisation kept users engaged, and the campaign structure allowed Baloise to test both the storytelling potential and technical robustness of WhatsApp as a communication tool.
The results
The Easter puzzle proved to be an ideal pilot project:
- Over 75% of participants were actively involved on all five days – a strong indicator of the channel’s acceptance.
- Daily engagement rates were over 90%, with many dropouts returning the next day.
- Thanks to the optimal timing of the newsletter (9–10 a.m.), response times were particularly short with less than 4 hours!
What you can learn from this
This case study highlights three important findings:
- Playful, interactive WhatsApp campaigns can achieve exceptionally high levels of engagement, even for insurance brands.
- Multi-day storytelling formats are ideal for testing both the acceptance of the channel and the functionality of the newsletter.
- Careful timing of message delivery can significantly increase response rates and user engagement.
While this approach is particularly effective for customer loyalty pilot projects, it can also be applied to other industries and use cases – wherever sustainable interaction and direct feedback are valuable.
