Nick Lanzi didn’t at all times envision a profession in advertising and communications. With an accounting diploma from Penn State, he spent the primary a part of his profession in finance, serving as CFO for one of many area’s largest direct advertising companies. His publicity to that business sparked his curiosity in launching his personal enterprise, Direct Selection, in 1995.
Practically three many years later, he and his workforce have developed a specialised method for assembly the calls for of direct advertising for nationwide and regional manufacturers. Now, as a pacesetter within the LGBTQIA+ enterprise group, Lanzi sees the affect that investing in and dealing with numerous suppliers can have.
Working with Independence Blue Cross
Lanzi and his workforce have been doing enterprise with Independence Blue Cross (IBX) for practically 20 years, specializing in digital, direct advert, and mailed advertising campaigns.
“My company works on behalf of our purchasers to establish the perfect prospects to achieve out to. Then, we create and deploy communications to get these prospects to take motion,” Lanzi mentioned. “With Independence Blue Cross, our work consists of renewing people and teams and advertising Reasonably priced Care Act and Medicare plans. No matter their want is, we offer an answer.”
Each IBX and Direct Selection profit from working collectively. Direct Selection’s versatile and enthusiastic expertise helps IBX talk with members successfully; and the cooperative partnership has helped Direct Selection acquire purchasers within the business.
“Having Independence Blue Cross in your record of purchasers is like gold as a result of they’re the gold customary, particularly within the Philadelphia market,” mentioned Lanzi. “I’ve been capable of appeal to different companies as purchasers over the previous 17 years due to our relationship.”
Shared Alternatives
The connection between IBX and Direct Selection is rooted in shared beliefs and a shared dedication to group. Benefitting extra than simply the 2 organizations, it has helped to advance others within the diverse-owned enterprise group.
“My vendor companions allow me to offer Independence Blue Cross with high-quality and inexpensive merchandise that we ship on time,” defined Lanzi. “Not solely does that make me appear and feel actually good, it additionally incentivizes Independence Blue Cross to provide us extra work — and that rolls downstream to my numerous vendor companions. So, it feeds the system.”
Integrating numerous suppliers into enterprise fashions has helped IBX and Direct Selection strengthen the native financial system, increase innovation, assist the hiring of native expertise, and higher serve members and purchasers by growing illustration for historically underrepresented communities.
“I’m blissful to say that just about 25 p.c of Direct Selection’s annual vendor spend is with women-, BIPOC-, veteran-, and LGBTQIA+-owned companies,” mentioned Lanzi.
At IBX and our subsidiaries, the provider range program continues to develop, with $317 million spent with numerous suppliers in 2023, a rise of 13 p.c since 2022.
Affect Past “Simply Enterprise”
Lanzi’s dedication to supporting different numerous companies extends past his hiring of these suppliers. He additionally sits on the board of the Impartial Enterprise Alliance, which is the Philadelphia chapter of the Nationwide LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Lanzi leverages that position to have a higher affect on LGBTQIA+ causes and companies within the space.
“Independence Blue Cross helps the LGBTQIA+ group in a means I’ve by no means skilled earlier than. They’re main sponsors of quite a few organizations within the Philadelphia space they usually actually put their cash the place their mouth is,” Lanzi mentioned.