Case Study: Morningstar achieves near-universal benefits clarity and engagement with ALEX

Using a Humorous Tool in a Serious Culture

Morningstar, a publicly traded investment research and management firm with about $179 billion in assets under advisement and roughly 1,500 U.S. benefits‑eligible employees, needed a better way to explain complex benefits to a smart, technologically savvy and time‑pressed workforce. The challenge was to provide quick, personalized guidance that would engage skeptical employees who won’t sit through long presentations or generic materials.

Morningstar deployed ALEX, a conversational, lightly humorous benefits coach that delivers bite‑sized, personalized guidance on medical plans and savings options. ALEX kept employees engaged long enough to support good decisions: 100% of surveyed employees found ALEX’s medical plan explanations helpful and 96% found the entire medical insurance module helpful.

Morningstar

Paul Reiman

Head of Total Rewards