USAA Goes Beyond Insurance to Create Amazing Experiences for Veterans
Whatever your feelings about US foreign policy, few could argue with the fact we as a society should take care of service men and women when they return from the theatre of conflict.
This is why, a century ago in 1922, 25 US Army officers joined together to create a specialist insurance company for veterans and their families. They had found most auto insurance brands would refuse to sell them policies because they were deemed, as serving military personnel, to be a high-risk group.
Since those days, the San Antonio based, United States Automobile Association [USAA] has dedicated itself to making sure past and present members of the armed forced were able to access banking and insurance services tailored towards them and their experiences.
USAA
As a brand with a laser focus on one particular demographic, USAA prides itself on providing the people and communities it serves with a customer experience relevant to them and support which goes beyond its core offering of banking and insurance services.
This dedication takes many forms. One example came towards the end of 2021 when USAA invited football fans to virtually celebrate at Army-Navy House.
One of college football’s most revered and storied rivalries occurs every year when teams from the army and navy respectively take to the field in a friendly Christmas game. In 2021 the Army Black Knights took on the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The game was held just ten miles from the World Trade Center site to commemorate the 20th anniversary year of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis USAA realized many of its customers and their families may not be able to attend the game in person and wanted to create a virtual experience which would enable them to show their support from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
"There is no other rivalry that matches the passion, tradition and patriotism of the Army-Navy Game," said USAA Chief Marketing Officer, Mayra Rivera in a press release. "We want to provide an opportunity for fans who can’t make it to the game in person to show their support and share in the energy of the rivalry by visiting www.armynavyhouse.com."
USAA originally launched the Army-Navy House sweepstakes in 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the success of the sweepstakes, USAA’s Army-Navy House returned for 2021.
Fans were invited to visit www.armynavyhouse.com and upload a photo which showed off their fandom. Each person who submitted a phot was then entered into the sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the 2022 Army-Navy game. One winner from each fandom was chosen, with fans also encouraged to share their images on social media using the hashtag #ArmyNavyHouse.
Entrepreneurial Support
USAA’s support for its veteran customer goes beyond football games however, and the company has also recently announced a 2022 multi-city pitch contest for veteran entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own business as part of their transition back to civilian life.
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, USAA launched the "From Service to Start-Up" pitch contest to highlight, celebrate, and support the next generation of military-connected entrepreneurs. The contest sought to find military connected startups which are dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities and offered a $100,000 grand prize and $180,000 in additional placement prizes.
"With more than 2.5 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States and countless veterans and military spouses looking for flexible and meaningful employment following their military service, the pitch contest is just one more way we are showing our support and advocacy for the military community and positive contributions they make to our communities," said Vice President of Corporate Development at USAA, Nathan McKinley.
The five remaining regional stops for the contest at time of writing are Austin (March 24), Chicago (April 21), Washington, D.C. (May 26), Seattle (July 21), and Charlotte (Sept. 15). Regional finalists from each city will be invited to the finals in San Antonio, Military City, U.S.A and USAA’s hometown, in November 2022.
Interested entrepreneurs can visit bunkerlabs.org/usaa-pitch to fill out an applicant form and get more details on how and when to submit their materials for entrance into each location’s event.
Final Thoughts
Creating amazing customer experiences can often mean going outside of your core offering and considering the wider lives of your customers. As a brand with such a firm demographic, USAA understands this more than most which is why it is able to craft experiences which resonate so well with the needs of its veteran customer base.
You can hear USAA Executive Director of Customer Advocacy, Chuck Rohrig speak at CXFS 2022, being held in July at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.