Pinnacle Life Insurance

From Flatlining to Future-Ready: How Customer Insight Unlocked Scalable Growth.

“Our partnership has led to a remarkable 226% increase in policy sales, demonstrating the synergy between the changes we’ve made within our business and our marketing efforts.”

Gillian Vaughan, CEO, Pinnacle Life Insurance

Challenge:

Pinnacle Life was facing more than just flat sales — they were stuck in a category that’s emotionally heavy, trust-sensitive and easy to avoid. As a digital-first challenger brand, they needed to win over time-poor Kiwis who knew they should get life insurance, but hadn’t. Compounding the challenge: past marketing leaned on sentiment (“lucky to have insurance”) that didn’t resonate. It was time for a reset — not just of messaging, but of the whole system.

The Breakthrough Insight:

People weren’t looking for inspiration. They were looking to get it sorted. Fast. On their own terms.

“I need to get life insurance sorted quickly and simply, without speaking to anyone, so I can stop worrying about it and get on with life.”

This Jobs to Be Done insight, backed by fresh 1-to-1 research, revealed that removing friction was the unlock — not just emotionally, but functionally.

What We Delivered:

A complete marketing system overhaul designed to meet the customer where they are — with trust, simplicity, and performance at every stage:

Growth & campaign strategy rooted in Jobs to Be Done
1-to-1 customer research uncovering key friction points in UX, messaging, and trust
HubSpot setup to power automated lead nurture, conversion tracking, and CRO
High-converting Google & Meta ad campaigns targeting first-timers and switchers
Search-informed content and landing page optimisation to reduce decision effort
SEO audit + content strategy to improve visibility and answer high-intent queries
Explainer and brand video production to build confidence at key conversion points
Automated lead nurture journeys mapped to the real decision timeline
Real-time analytics dashboards for performance tracking and continuous improvement

Results:

+226% growth in policy sales (YoY)
41% drop in acquisition costs
A connected, data-driven system delivering sustainable growth

“This wasn’t about more marketing — campaigns come and go. It was about less friction — and building a connected system that helped Pinnacle Life do the job customers were really hiring them for.”

“Unfold Digital has become an extension of our team, deeply understanding our unique challenges and opportunities. Their data-driven approach and technical expertise have been instrumental in building a robust marketing system, allowing the Pinnacle management team to focus on business growth rather than reactive marketing decisions. With a comprehensive approach that includes customer research, data analysis, and strategic planning, Unfold acts as a sounding board for new ideas and directions. Our partnership has led to a remarkable 226% increase in policy sales, demonstrating the synergy between the changes we’ve made within our business and our marketing efforts.”