U.S. Department of Labor | Employee Benefits Security Administration

The Employee Benefits Security Administration was created for two purposes: 1) to help workers understand and exercise their employer-sponsored insurance benefits and 2) to ensure the employers and sponsors who provide insurance benefits meet federal requirements. Established in 1970, EBSA is a child agency of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Deliverables

I was part of a robust marketing team that provided the following services:

  • Web Audit

  • Research

  • Content Strategy

  • Creative Development

  • Copywriting

  • Social Media

  • Digital Media

  • Web Design

  • Analytics 

My goal was to deliver effective content on employer-sponsored insurance benefits that serve a multicultural workforce. To increase accessibility and awareness, I did the following:

  • Created tone and voice guidelines, helping to redefine brand identity and values.

  • Restructured and rewrote content for six webpages on dol.gov/ebsa. 

  • Developed a series of educational and motivational ads to drive multicultural workers to visit dol.gov/ebsa.

Challenge and Solution

Our marketing team was tasked with raising awareness of EBSA, a government agency most Americans had never heard of. We identified an overarching goal: position EBSA as the No. 1 trusted agency for information on employer-sponsored insurance benefits.

Our target audience was multicultural workers and families who used employer-sponsored insurance benefits. From there, we segmented our target audience, creating accompanying marketing and user personas for each segment.

Then, we conducted interviews, surveys and other audience research, which yielded these findings:

  • Only 10% of workers and families trusted EBSA, as most were completely unaware of this government agency. Many found their way to EBSA after a Google search on health or retirement benefits, rather than typing “Employee Benefits Security Administration” into their web browser. We had to start with the simplest educational need: giving a bite-sized explanation of EBSA resources and benefits. 

  • One motivating factor to visit the EBSA website: the ability to speak to a person rather than a robot. We needed to inform people that they could receive immediate help without getting the run-around. 

  • Users had trouble finding specific, clear-cut information on dol.gov/ebsa. They said the website was challenging and unorganized.

  • When faced with benefits-related issues — denied health care claims, unexpected medical bills, lost pension — they are often frustrated and concerned. Oftentimes, they feel lost, unsure of where to seek help. To meet people where they are, EBSA would have to straddle the border between approachable and authoritative.

  • Some of our target audiences distrusted the government. Strange, government-sounding acronyms like EBSA could deter them.

These findings informed my content strategy and execution. I created tone and voice guidelines, helping to redefine brand identity and values. The language I drafted for public-facing assets, including webpages and ads, used these guidelines to introduce EBSA and create a dialogue with our target audience.

[INSERT GUIDELINES]

I restructured and rewrote content for six webpages on dol.gov/ebsa. EBSA wanted to be understood, without difficulty. There was no room for clutter. I used consistent, plain language to decode employer-sponsored benefits. With a writing style that prioritized comprehension, I was able to convey subject matter expertise and give workers a sense of security. 

[INSERT OLD AND NEW PAGES]

I developed language for a series of educational and motivational ads to drive multicultural workers to visit dol.gov/ebsa. The first batch of campaign ads plugged EBSA as the go-to resource for resolving issues with employer-sponsored health and retirement benefits. This content strategy aligned with an EBSA reality: When people are exasperated by problems with their benefits, they find their way to EBSA.

The second batch of campaign ads addressed employee rights to mental health coverage. I had to introduce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, a law that requires certain employer-sponsored insurance plans to cover mental health conditions and physical health conditions in a similar manner. The ads had strict character limits, meaning I had limited real estate to educate our target audiences on parity.

Every word needed to be intentional, as there is no space for jargon or thorough explanations. The ads directed people to the EBSA website, where they could find detailed information about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.  

[INSERT ADS]