Demystifying and raising up curiosity for data topics, how to make it fun for all employees?
Tags: Digital Transformation, Smart Learning, Standards, Risk, Data

Could you tell what is common between our Payer to Partner strategy and our Tech-led ambition? Or what is common between Customer First and Artificial Intelligence?

One of the answers is Data and it’s obvious for us at rev. As an insurer, Data is part of our DNA (since the beginning, nothing new!) and is related to our ability to price a risk.

By becoming “data fluent”, we become more knowledgeable especially on the needs of the customers.

But what does it mean to demystify data in the business? What is the expected data reflexwe are looking for? How did AXA Partners and AXA Gulf manage their Smart® Data Awareness pre-test campaigns?

AXA Gulf’s example

First of all, at the very beginning of the adventure (June 2018) we structured themes around data user and data usage. Behind the buzz words, what are we talking about?

A workgroup including AXA Partners, AXA UK PPP, HR and REV answered by identifying 6 topics related to data awareness. Then, the challenge was to find a way to engage people. Beyond Sponsorship, doing things differently was definitely an option. And we already had convictions: mixing viral marketing techniques with an adaptative algorithm could produce a new way of embarking people. We created a kind of addictive engagement method.

After a family and friends’ prototype (103 DTI employees, last June), we validated the innovative platform developed by AXA France called SMART®, based on an addictive quiz concept.

But what is a Smart® campaign? It’s about receiving 3–5 daily questions on your PC or your mobile, during one week. It’s a fun and unusual experience when dealing with data, with adaptative questions depending on your answers. So, the beauty is that nobody gets the same questions and this creates energy while chatting around the coffee machine!

With the workgroup and AXA France, we co-designed new features to be added in Q4. The SMART® Data Awareness was born.

We fine-tuned the concept and kept it very simple: start learning by simply reading a question!

In parallel of developing new features, the workgroup mobilized 20 AXA Subject Matter Experts to design more than 100 adaptive questions, structured around the 6 topics: data citizen, data and my work, data for customer first, data family, data and technologies, data and value. This challenge related to the content is not over and it is a continuous improvement process.

“Challenge yourself through 4 daily questions and discover which data traveler you are”.

Early 2019, the Smart® data awareness was launched by AXA Partners and AXA Gulf with 2 different objectives:

AXA Partners wanted to gather qualitative feedback from their change makers network. Smart® was launched for 25 people, with questions in French and with a specific feedback process. A lot of learnings (especially on the “Data Summary journey” which is an output document from the Smart®) that will contribute to the official launch for AXA Partners starting with Partners France (more than 500 employees) in May 2019.

AXA Gulf wanted to pre-test Smart® on 150 employees before launching it on all the 2000 employees. In less than 3 months, this collaborative project (HR, CIO, CDO) was set-up.

“Smart® is an easy and unique initiative to foster curiosity related to data topics. I am convinced that it nourishes the data habits that we are looking for” says Tracy Al Saidi, Regional Head of Talent, Learning & Resourcing & Senior HRBP for AXA Gulf.

— In both pilots, the feedback of the participant is positive. Ie. “data isn’t such a difficult topic, once you get out of the jargon!”

— And the results are validating our marketing hypothesis: participation rate doubles from the first day to the last day. Day#1 shows 30% of participation rate and day#5 hits 65+%.

What did we learn so far from the Entities?

Set the sponsorship at the right level: The Entity Sponsor (CEO, Business Leader, CDO…) has to role-model the Tech Led transformation through data culture. REV has some recommendations!

Modularity is an entity requirement through 4 points: calendar, content selection, target population, language.

The crowd funding principles can be applied to Smart® campaigns. Mobilizing people few minutes a day during 1 or 2 weeks.

Beyond AXA Partners and AXA Gulf, several Chief Data Officers expressed their will to launch SMART® in their entity this year, starting with AXA Belgium, AXA France, AXA Spain, AXA Indonesia, AXA Poland, AXA Singapore… Before launching Smart® Data Awareness 1.0 with them, we will have the third and last prototype mid-March, with INM Central team (130 employees), another type of audience with another great Sponsor. Stay connected and observe our data reflex becoming true when generating, using and sharing data!

Want to discover more on this new addictive engagement method?

Contact: Frederic.martin@axa.com