Reimagining insurance acquisition,
one click at a time
Reimagining insurance acquisition,
one click at a time
In a market shaped by rising costs and tighter regulation, Desjardins reimagined its insurance acquisition strategy. A joint taskforce rolled out a value-based bidding model, shifting SEM investments toward high-value prospects. The result: acquisition targets hit 4.5 months early and lasting improvements in media efficiency.
Services
- CRM & Lifecycle
- Digital Transformation
- Content & Engagement
- Marketing Science
Brief
Desjardins needed to turn paid search into a driver of profitability—no small feat in a highly regulated and economically constrained environment. The goal was to modernize Desjardins’ digital marketing strategy to improve profitability in a high-volume market, without compromising commercial performance.
Problem to Solve
The insurance industry is facing a perfect storm: inflation, high interest rates and tight regulatory oversight in Ontario. For Desjardins, this meant low conversion rates and costly, inefficient SEM campaigns. The challenge was to move away from a volume-based media approach and toward one focused on long-term value, all while navigating risk aversion and pressure to deliver immediate results.
Solution
In collaboration with Desjardins, we created a strategic taskforce to turn paid search into a profit engine. A value-based bidding program was deployed to prioritize higher-value prospects by integrating new performance signals. Four campaign iterations were launched within a structured test-and-learn framework to manage risk and ensure buy-in from internal teams at every step.
Results
Within just two months, the VBB model was fully adopted across Ontario campaigns following a successful A/B test. The strategy hit annual quote targets 4.5 months ahead of schedule. High-value insurance quote volume increased through SEM, supported by the creation of a cross-functional taskforce focused on continuous performance improvement.
- 100%
Adoption of the VBB model in Ontario within two months of launch
- 4,5
Months ahead of annual quote targets
- 1
Permanent cross-functional taskforce spanning actuarial, analytics, media, and go-to-market strategy
Explore more projects
See all125th Anniversary Campaign
For its 125th anniversary, Desjardins rolled out a two-pronged media strategy to support a bold repositioning. In Québec, a full-funnel plan amplified a message of caring ambition. In the rest of Canada, the “We’re bigger than you think” campaign introduced the brand in low-awareness markets. Smart targeting, channel strategy and pacing drove strong gains in awareness and perceived performance.

Rethinking Financial Puberty
To build trust with young adults aged 18 to 30, Desjardins launched Table Rase, a content platform developed with Radio-Canada to address the financial anxiety many of them experience. A full-funnel media strategy drove qualified traffic via OOH, QR codes, bold social storytelling, retargeted tips and personalized offers. This personalized, traceable ecosystem continues to deliver strong results in 2025.

Patient acquisition, redefined
Dermapure reworked its paid search strategy to prioritize value over volume. By linking offline conversions to ad performance, we shifted focus to high-potential new clients. The result: +210% in conversion value and +60% in total conversions.