AIA embraces customer-centric innovation
To meet the needs of a changing world, a brand must evolve to stay connected with its customers. Deeply rooted in the territory for more than 85 years, AIA Hong Kong (“AIA”) is one of the best known insurance brands. However, customers’ needs and expectations are dynamic, and with customers having more brand choices than ever, AIA recognised the importance of reinvigorating its brand to remain competitive, relevant and connected to its target audience. In 2011, the company conducted a Brand Health survey to evaluate how well the AIA brand resonated with customers and the ways it could reinvent its image.
The survey found that while AIA was seen as a market leader and people valued AIA’s good products and services, they would also like to have a stronger emotional connection with the brand. AIA hence outlined a series of transformational changes from corporate culture and backend capabilities, to digital and customer service, with the aim of enabling the brand to engage on a much more emotional and personal level with its customers.
In 2013, AIA launched a new brand positioning: “The Real Life Company”, pledging to be genuinely engaged in people's lives and to provide the right financial solutions for them and their families in a constantly changing world. AIA later elaborated on this brand promise with the commitment to helping people live longer, healthier and better lives.
AIA also further enhanced the company’s customer-centric capabilities with customer needs, preferences and differences as the driving force behind AIA’s work, including its communications, product design and training. To further reinforce brand resonance, AIA produced the award-winning “Love is in Every Moment” mini-film series, which reminded audiences to cherish and protect their loved ones, showing that AIA shared the same values as its customers.
To engage its customers via more meaningful experiences, AIA created a strategic sponsorship framework, committed to supporting only events that would make customers’ livelihood better and leave them with happy memories. The AIA Great European Carnival, for example, brings families and friends together, while sporting events like Oxfam Trailwalker encourage healthy living.
Recognising the growing importance of digital technology in the modern brand experience, AIA accelerated its digital transformation. AIA’s Facebook leads the industry with over 250,000 followers, while a redesigned corporate website features customer-centric content and user-friendly design. Proprietary platforms such as AIA iCare Self Help Service Kiosk, iPoS (Interactive Point of Sale) and iMO (Interactive Mobile Office) offer a superior customer experience. AIA’s high-tech, high-touch approach balances the speed and convenience of digital innovation with the human touch of personal service.
The launch of the game-changing AIA Vitality in 2015 further delivered on the company’s brand promise to help people live longer, healthier and better lives, by offering instant premium discounts and incentives to encourage people to live healthier.
In its 2016 Brand Health survey, AIA had not only retained its top position among key players in Spontaneous Awareness, Familiarity, and Category Leadership; but also ranked No.1 in Brand Buzz (No.2 in 2011) and Company Reputation (No.4 in 2011). AIA took great pride in listening and genuinely addressing customer needs, and customers, in turn, gave “The Real Life Company” their trust and support.
