Flourishing at Garage: Insurtech company blüüm transforms with a rebrand

Author: Francis Oldfield, Brand Director, Garage Society

Don’t be mistaken that rebranding is a defensive, reactionary response to when things go wrong. As an ex-Creative Director and now Brand Director, I’ve seen first-hand that rebranding is an essential process for businesses to stay ahead of the competition and remain relevant to their audiences.

Evidently, the shock Covid-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to reevaluate and adapt with short-term measures. However, the key is to be proactive about the changes your brand needs and think long-term.

Like many businesses, including Garage Society, the pandemic has been an opportunity to reflect and strategise, with businesses like ours, standing to be better companies because of it. One such business that has leveraged this opportunity, is Garage Society member blüüm.

As part of our Impact Month, we sat down with the Marketing Director of blüüm, Sabine Wong, to discuss the impact of their recent rebrand, the story behind their new name, and smiley faces.

GS: Tell us about blüüm and your business journey so far.

SW: Essentially blüüm provides a new approach to health insurance products and digital health management services. We work closely with insurance companies to develop innovative lifestyle-specific health insurance products and services that tap into segments that aren’t so covered by traditional insurers.

GS: You’ve been with Garage Society for while now.

SW: Yes, we opened an office here in Hong Kong about a year and a half ago and that’s when I joined. Our headquarters are in Shanghai where it all started 7 years ago with our parent company The CareVoice. In that time we’ve grown to a team of 8 in the Hong Kong office with more additions on the way. 

GS: What sparked the decision to rebrand to blüüm?

SW: We began the business with the name StartupCare, which immediately gives you the impression that we’re a business or a care service for startups. 

Originally, our main product was group medical insurance for SMEs, but we now offer a wider range of products for different lifestyles. Also, our customer base has broadened so it was time to rebrand and to be more aligned with our goals and purpose as a company. Our aim is to help people find easier ways to enhance their well-being and for everyone to have the chance to enjoy life to the fullest.

GS: What thinking went into your branding process?

SW: Our new name blüüm derives from the word ‘bloom’ and is a metaphor for living a healthier and better life. More than just protection against the uncertain, blüüm was created to inspire and enable. We decided on a bright colour palette of blue and orange to help convey this and give our identity a refreshing and optimistic look. 

As blüüm is primarily a digital experience, we wanted to convey a human element. With this duality in mind, we developed this concept further through the theme of logic and creativity. Within the blüüm logotype are two dots over the ‘u’ representing the two smiley faces of both logic and creativity. We’ve made this our üü mascot, which is used in our brand communications and is a visual cue to how we use technology to provide better health services for happier and healthier lives. It also adds an element of youthfulness as we’re aiming to connect more to the digital-savvy millennials and young parents.

GS: So what’s on the horizon for blüüm in 2021?

SW: In terms of products, we’ve already launched a new women’s insurance and we will soon be launching a product aimed at sports fanatics. 

Social media will play a bigger role in how we interact with our consumers as we aim to grow our audience and engage with the community.

Also, we’ll continue to work with new partners in co-creating new lifestyle-driven products that are tailored to specific health needs. 

Learn more about blüüm: https://www.bluum.hk/

Garage Society x blüüm

Continuing on the theme of ‘change’, we’ve recently seen everyone’s attitudes shift towards prioritising their health. To support this, Garage Society and blüüm have got together to offer our members an exclusive all-around digital health package.

Simply click here to claim your free CareVoice Health Package and access:

• Free outpatient insurance plan with unlimited visits to 1,000+ clinics

• Free smartwatch

• Free CareVoice Apps: Access 24/7 virtual health assistant, doctor search and appointment booking