Brand strategy and health insurance marketing pro Christine Smith, a Bravo director, knew from her first day at Temple University that advertising was her calling. A professor’s suggestion that she should help an entrepreneur classmate develop and market a budding urban clothing line was the key that unlocked her specialty: nurturing the behind-the-scenes relationships needed to develop a 360-brand experience.
She honed that ability over two decades on both the agency and client side and along the way built deep expertise in the health insurance sector. Christine began working with Capital Blue Cross at the Neiman Group and eventually joined the health insurer to bring the national Live Fearless campaign to central PA.
When former Neiman Senior Vice President and now Bravo Chief Officer Megan Madsen was searching for just the right person to nurture and grow brands for multifaceted clients that make progress in people’s lives, she tapped Christine.
Christine immediately made her mark at Bravo in helping to boost CCA into Pennsylvania’s largest cyber charter school and dove deep into her intricate health insurance knowledge and total brand immersion experiences to create and launch Pennie, Pennsylvania’s new health insurance exchange marketplace.
During her years at Bravo in helping to make progress in people’s lives, Christine points to the following campaigns as best expressing the brand experience and bringing it home to those it can help the most. In her own words, she tells us why she loves each spot:
“This perfectly embodies CCA’s brand vision of how school should work—where education is flexible, student-focused, and designed to empower every learner. It beautifully reflects our commitment to providing an innovative, personalized learning experience that prepares students for success in school and beyond.”
“This spot reinforces Fulton Bank’s brand as a trusted partner, deeply invested in its customers’ success, and committed to being there when it matters most.”
“With Pennie, you’re not just getting insurance—you’re getting trusted support, financial security, and peace of mind. Because your health, your future, and your well-being are worth protecting.”
In the coming year, Christine views these items as opportunities on the branding and marketing fronts:
Double down on video: Video advertising isn’t a trend. It will continue to dominate digital ad spend in everything from social to CTV to retail media networks. Consumers crave video, so give it to them. Weave a strategic video approach into every part of your marketing funnel – brand, performance and retention – and you’ll be set to win.
Influencer marketing is hot: Consumers get their news – including brand and product insights – from social media. This puts influencers front and center. Brands must actively pay attention to influencers in their respective industries and strategically leverage them as a channel.
Keywords taking a siesta? The hot new engine is voice search. Smartwatches and AI-assisted devices are making it easy and unavoidable, so ad formats and content tactics need to be tailored for conversational queries. That puts keywords in the backseat.
