Bupa Boost

TL;DR

We worked with Bupa to design, develop and run a digital platform to change business’ approach to wellbeing in the workplace. Helping to win them the biggest corporate PMI (insurance) contracts, and changing the way they approach digital products.

Background

Bupa is one of the largest private insurers in the UK serving 32 million customers in 190 countries, they approached us at Play to discuss what we could do to improve their digital offerings, initially focusing on their corporate and business health insurance.

Bupa’s research found that:

• 85% of UK workers say their employer has a responsibility to look after their health and wellbeing
• 78% of employees would welcome support from their employer to think about their health and wellbeing
• 60% of workers admit if they felt happy and well at work they would be more productive

Process

We began with a 2-week Sprint 0 (design Sprint) to: help us understand the problem; propose and iterate on potential solutions; and define/ estimate a potential pilot to prove our idea.

After building an initial Marvel prototype to share with stakeholders we built an initial MVP version to test within Bupa. From that success we built and ran an agile team with myself as Product lead, 1-2 UX/UI designer, 2-8 developers, 1 project manager and QA. Working closely with Bupa to understand future requirements, pitching feature areas and running the product as a live service. During this time we worked with stakeholders from across the business to allow Bupa Boost to get further integrated in Bupa services.

Product

Available on iOS, Android (and briefly Windows Phone) - Bupa Boost supports employees to set personal goals, track their progress against friends and colleagues as well as integrating data from other apps and wearables. Employees can also benefit from Bupa’s wider portfolio of health information and services through Bupa Boost.

Employers benefit from aggregated anonymised data allowing them to better understand the health and wellbeing of their workforce. As a result businesses will be able to set challenges through Bupa Boost that aim to address employee needs or hold workplace initiatives on the health issues that matter most to their people. Unlike most PMI (insurance) benefits, Bupa Boost is offered to the whole workforce, meaning that everybody can benefit, not just the privileged few.

Beyond fitness

Wellbeing is more than fitness – Boost supports nutrition, mindfulness, relaxation and fitness for a comprehensive approach to wellbeing. This is important to ensure that Boost is useful to everybody - Boost supports users in achieving their goals, not by stipulating what is required to improve their wellbeing.

Use the devices/services you love

Bupa Boost integrates with existing popular health services such as MapMyFitness, FitBit and Apple Health/Google Fit. It also supports iOS, Android (and briefly) Windows Phone. This allows everybody to support and improve their wellbeing together even if one is an iPhone wielding gardener and the other is an Android user hooked on Strava.

Healthy habits

Small actions lead to big outcomes. Boost builds daily habits by reminding and rewarding to help users meet their goals.

Make wellbeing fun

Set challenges, collect badges and reach the top of the leaderboard. Boost makes wellbeing a fun, rewarding and social experience for everybody.

Results

Bupa Boost has been very successful for Bupa helping them to change the way they position their products. It was so successful with corporates that it is now offered to SMEs, and a core part of their individual health assessments.

Key successes:

• Bupa research showed 66% of active Boost users improved their wellness
• Won Bupa the biggest corporate PMI client in the UK
• Rolled out to hundreds of corporates and businesses
• Market leading retention
• Average 4.4 session/days
• Millions of goals completed

Awards

• LangBuisson Awards 2016, Innovation in Technology - Won
• Health Investor Awards 2017, IT Innovator of the Year - Shortlisted

Press

• Bupa takes on Apple with new fitness tracking app - The Telegraph
• Workplace Health and Wellbeing Gets a Boost - HuffPost
• Bupa Boost - The Future starts here - Health Matters
• Bupa launches corporate health and wellbeing app - Cover Magazine