Aflac Launches New Marketing Strategy Featuring What 'Aflac Isn't' to Shed Light on Everything Aflac Is

Company takes new direction to educate consumers on how Aflac's products are different and more valuable than some may know

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Aflac

Jan 07, 2019, 08:01 ET

COLUMBUS, Ga., Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in supplemental insurance sales at U.S. worksites, today announced the launch of a new marketing strategy and campaign designed to address the biggest misunderstandings that some consumers have about the company and its products. The new campaign, one of the most extensive integrated marketing campaigns in company history, will demonstrate to consumers how Aflac insurance isn't what many think it is, isn't used when many think it is and doesn't work how many think it does. In short, by telling consumers what Aflac isn't, the company believes it will be in a prime position to instill in potential customers what the company is and the value of its products.

"Research illustrates that Aflac's brand recognition is extraordinarily high, thanks to the much-loved Aflac Duck, but many consumers still do not understand what Aflac is – they simply know we are insurance and our name," said Aflac Senior Vice President, Chief Brand and Communications Officer Catherine Hernandez-Blades. "To understand why our education has stalled, we conducted extensive research and found that consumers don't understand Aflac and how our products can help them, yet they think they do. We leveraged this insight to build a new strategy designed to get consumers to stop and think about their misperceptions and what 'Aflac Isn't' so they can begin to understand what Aflac is, how we are relevant in their lives and how we stand apart from other insurance products."

Today the company will debut the first creative component of this campaign, a new national television commercial called "Aflac Isn't," developed by Publicis Seattle. In the new spot, multiple people inaccurately describe real-life situations where they think Aflac applies, such as auto insurance, homeowners insurance and even pet protection. The final person, however, wins cheers from the Aflac Duck for knowing that Aflac pays cash directly to policyholders (unless otherwise assigned) – to help pay for expenses health insurance doesn't cover.

"With the help of the iconic Aflac Duck, we will bring our new strategy and campaign to life in fresh and engaging ways across paid, earned and owned media," Aflac Vice President of Brand and Creative Services Shannon Watkins said. "In 2019, Aflac will unveil a series of thematic on-air and online videos and radio spots that highlight consumers' frequently held, yet mistaken, beliefs to get them to think about their misconceptions of Aflac and learn more about our brand. We will use our assets to drive consumers to Aflac.com, where they will see a new landing page updated to support our strategy of building education."

Aflac.com has been refreshed with added interactive features and optimized navigation to better educate consumers and key constituents about Aflac's products and services.

Using Music to Connect with Consumers

A key element incorporated in Aflac's campaign is a common passion shared by its target audiences – music. The company will leverage major national and local music events throughout 2019 to educate and connect with consumers in unique ways. As part of the initiative, Aflac will implement large-scale experiential activations and custom content to make a complicated and confusing topic – supplemental insurance – easier to understand.

"Through compelling, informative content, we are excited to use music as a platform to drive home our message that Aflac pays cash to help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover. Our goal is to educate and connect with the broad base of consumers who are aware of our brand – so that they will be inspired to learn more about our value proposition and become an Aflac policyholder," Watkins added.

To learn more, visit Aflac's new landing page at Aflac.com.

About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day Pay^SM initiative, for eligible claims, Aflac U.S. can process, approve and electronically send funds to claimants for quick access to cash in just one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 12 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2018, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the 20th consecutive year and included Aflac on its list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 17th time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day Pay^SM, visit aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

Media contact: Kristen Fraser, 706.580.3813 or [email protected]

Aflac analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or [email protected]

SOURCE Aflac