Aflac has launched a multichannel campaign in an effort to spur sales of its new products and win over consumers who may be reluctant to buy in this economy.
The campaign, which launched last week featuring the taglines “We’ve got you under our wing” and “Get the Aflacts,” includes online advertising, print ads, TV and social media. The work is part of Aflac’s efforts to expand its marketshare and coincides with the company’s expanded workplace selling efforts and its extended children’s and part-time workers’ insurance. All ad efforts will feature the well-known brand image of the Aflac duck, who has launched his own Facebook page as part of the campaign.
“We wanted to continue to talk with consumers and workplaces to explain who we are and how we are relevant in their lives so they can understand the value of our products,” said Al Johnson, VP of marketing services, Aflac. “The Aflacts campaign is simple in form but certainly a big idea — we want to own the words ‘facts’ and ‘Aflacts.’ In our research we’ve seen that consumers and decision makers don’t want a lot of fluff. They want straight facts and a quick message, and if they are investing in a product, they want to know what they are getting, so Aflacts is straightforward.”
The social media aspect of the campaign is designed to encourage deeper connections between consumers and the brand. Policy holders will be able to leave comments and stories on the duck’s Facebook page, which also includes regular updates and pictures from the duck character.
All efforts were designed to have broad public appeal, Johnson said.
“Reaching the right people is, for us, reaching anyone who is of the right age to purchase Aflac insurance,” he said. “We have not taken the campaign down to targeting females aged 30-35. Our media buys are general broadmarket publications like People and Time, and our online presence is on a lot of those same sites.”
The Kaplan Thaler Group is the lead agency on the campaign. Aflac also has tapped Fitzgerald & Co. as its media group, the Zimmerman Agency for social media work and Conexion for an “Aflacts” Hispanic marketing effort that will roll out later this year.
