2016 Aep Ad Schedule

[G.Gordon]

We usually run generic agency ads for AEP. Since our local paper comes out 9/30, AEP selling season starts the next day. Can we have a generic AEP Starts Tomorrow ad. Seems I remember reading that no mention or advertising related to AEP could happen until 10/1. Can't find the reference now.

 

[Justin Bilyj]

You can't advertise before the 1st, as far as it being generic I keep coming across the phrase if it doesn't include company or benefits than it doesn't need to be approved by cms.

 

[G.Gordon]

My ads don't need approval, I just didn't want to launch a day early and get busted. I've asked three carriers, UHC said 10/1, Coventry said 9/30, no response from Humana.

I'm going with 10/1 which means 10/6 by the time the next papers come out.

 

[Justin Bilyj]

Do you have a weekly paper or is it like a community circular?
I just got rates for my area for a popular circular, was going to print up some flyers (got a 75% discount for Kinkos from a carrier), seemed pretty cheap, like $65 to place 1,000 flyers or something like that, would have to look at it again.
Are you close to the same ball park?
What type of results do you get with that? Mostly phone calls or do you put email or website contact info?

 

[G.Gordon]

Local papers with a constant ad. I have front page reservation for one, page two in the other, in color.

 

[MedicareAgent]

i'm making my ad right now (generic) and I was told not to place until 1st of Oct.

 

[WCMason]

You can't advertise before the 1st, as far as it being generic I keep coming across the phrase if it doesn't include company or benefits than it doesn't need to be approved by cms.

Marketing specific MA and PDP plans for the 2016 plan year is prohibited prior to 10/1. There is no prohibition on advertising prior to 10/1 otherwise. I don't advertise so no risk here.

 

[jason5436]

Do you have a weekly paper or is it like a community circular?
I just got rates for my area for a popular circular, was going to print up some flyers (got a 75% discount for Kinkos from a carrier), seemed pretty cheap, like $65 to place 1,000 flyers or something like that, would have to look at it again.
Are you close to the same ball park?
What type of results do you get with that? Mostly phone calls or do you put email or website contact info?

So I really like this idea. So you saying a $65 investment will then get you 1000 random news papers.
So me speaking common sense. Then you just run the math. In some newspapers in Atlanta you have 1 65 or older person to 8 under 65. Or something like that. Then you have only half of the population buying the paper.
This makes a lot of sense to me. Have you had success with this? ROI seems legit?

 

[Justin Bilyj]

Here was the rates:
Our customers provide their own flyers and then we insert them for $80 per thousand. We can also design and produce them for a much larger fee.

City #1 is bi-weekly and #2 is monthly, both have 10,000.
City #3 is 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 8,000 copies
#4,5,6 and 7 are all monthly, 5000 copies each.

For 2 papers the rate is reduced to $75 per 1000.
For 3 papers the rate is reduced to $70 per thousand.
For 4-5 papers the rate is reduced to $65 per thousand.
For 6-7 papers the rate is reduced to $60 per thousand

For all papers that would be 48,000 papers @ $60 per 1000 =$2880
For another example, if placed your flyer in the 3 Westshore papers, that would be a total of 23,000 @ $70 per 1000 =$1610.

Just for a comparison please review print display ads-(color is free)
-A 1/4 page ad in all papers would be $3360 - minus a multiple paper discount of 10% = $3024
-A 1/2 page ad in our 3 Westshore papers would be eligible for a special Westshore rate:
$980 for the 1st ad and then $520 each to add on to the other 2= $2020

They are free papers that are literally everywhere, so I know a small population would actually be my target market reading it, maybe 10-20%.

 

[Justin Bilyj]

How have the ads worked out so far Gordon? Will you be doing this all season until December?