Brand MarketingMinn. Blue Cross Backs ReformsBy Beth Heitzma|October 25, 1993ShareBy Beth Heitzma|October 25, 1993ShareMINNEAPOLIS – Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota launched an aggressive two-pronged advertising campaign last week that separates the company from many of its insurance company bretheren: It supports healthcare reform.In response to a progressive healthcare marketplace, BCBSM has reformulated itself to work within the managed care framework that’s emerged in Minnesota.‘We really think of ourselves as a health plan and not as an insurance company,’ said Chris Causey, BCBSM marketing communications/advertising. ‘While we’re not divorcing the insurance industry, we now think of ourselves as a managed care company . . . and a company that’s not waiting to see what reform brings, but ahead of it.’The campaign, from Case Foley Sackett here, includes print ads covering BCBSM’s views on healthcare reform issues such as care quality vs. cost.The other part of the campaign addresses specific initiatives BCBSM has instituted. A humorous TV spot shows a man waiting in an examining room doing what every patient has considered: peeking in drawers and playing with medical tools.Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993) Adweek Adweek