COLUMBUS, Ga., March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the
leading provider of voluntary insurance at the work site in
the United States and one of
FORTUNE's 2014 Blue Ribbon companies, announced today that they
have been listed as the 25th top brand by American City
Business Journals and The Business Journals. The Georgia-based insurer with the popular
Aflac Duck advertising campaign tops
the list for insurers in the Financial/Insurance category. Aflac
climbed 31 spots on the annual list compared with last year.
The results are highlighted in the 13th annual SMB Insights
Study from The Business Journals, which surveyed more than
1,600 small- to midsized-business owners and top management
decision-makers. Companies were ranked based on several criteria,
including industry leadership, vision, ethical behavior, general
popularity, good pricing and customer service. The survey involved
more than 250 brands, most of which are based in the United States.
"As a chief marketer, I am extremely pleased to see the Aflac
brand sitting near the top of a ranking like this, especially since
Aflac spends a fraction of the amount spent by others in the
insurance industry for marketing and advertising," Aflac Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing
Officer Michael Zuna said. "But a
brand is only as good as the promises you keep and the great people
who help you keep them. Whether it's our field agents who serve our
customers on the front lines or the analysts working hard to get a
claim paid, we want to be the brand that customers can always rely
on."
In February, Aflac introduced its latest innovation called One
Day PaySM. If an eligible claim is submitted with all
supporting documentation via Aflac SmartClaim®, the
company's online claims-submission system, Monday-Friday by
3 p.m. ET, Aflac processes, approves
and disburses payment for the claim in one business day.
"The branding study from the Business Journals provides
companies with a valuable, independent snapshot of the way business
decisions makers view and rank top brands. For those that
make the list, it's recognition for being among the best of the
best," said Whitney Shaw, President
and CEO of American City Business Journals, parent company of The
Business Journals.
According to the American City Business Journals, the annual
study is done in order to provide a snapshot of how marketers can
assess how a particular brand performs over time. Regardless of
category, brands that are consistently highly ranked should be seen
as resources for stimulating thoughts about best practices, the
researchers believe, as well as for new partnership opportunities
and even out-of-the-box ways to improve branding and marketing
efforts for SMB customers.
ABOUT AFLAC
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt,
Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For nearly six decades, Aflac
insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to
focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leading
provider of voluntary insurance at the work site. Through its
trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative, Aflac U.S. can
receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims
in one business day. In Japan,
Aflac is a leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and
insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac individual and group insurance
products help provide protection to more than 50 million people
worldwide. For nine consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by
Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies.
In 2015, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best
Companies to Work For in America for the 17th
consecutive year. Also, in 2015, Fortune magazine included Aflac on
its list of Most Admired Companies for the 14th time, ranking the
company No. 1 in innovation for the insurance, life and health
category. 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 PaySM, visit aflac.com or
espanol.aflac.com.
Media contact – Jon Sullivan,
706.763.4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com
Analyst and investor contact – Robin Y.
Wilkey, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX: 706.324.6330, or
rwilkey@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac