Aflac 2012 Annual Report Download - page 17

Aflac makes – and fulfills – our
promise to protect our policyholders
in their time of need. We believe it’s
also important to make and fulfill a
promise to the community to help
those who are going through one of
the toughest times a family can face – the
illness of a child. At the Aflac Parents House
in Asakusa-bashi, Tokyo, Ms. Atsuko Ozawa
is the house manager for one of the three
Parents House locations in Japan. Ms. Ozawa
coordinates the efforts of the 270 volunteers
who keep the 17-room home-away-from-
home clean, cozy, safe, and available for
families who need to stay there. Ms. Ozawa
says, “When a child is sick, the delicate
balance of a family’s day-to-day well-being
can be disrupted. My promise is to do
everything I can to restore and preserve
normalcy for the family here at the Aflac
Parents House.” Her compassion, drive to
help, and organizational skills are well-suited
to handle the large responsibility of running
the Aflac Parents House. Through the
operation of Aflac Parents House we deliver
our promise to be a good corporate citizen
by supporting families in Japan, enriching
the communities in which we operate.
AFLAC PARENTS HOUSE: A PROMISE TO HELP
When a child is diagnosed with cancer or other serious medical conditions, he or she must often travel to Tokyo or
Osaka from other parts of Japan to receive specialized and ongoing treatment. The Aflac Parents House, which was
founded in 2001, provides cheerful and spacious accommodations where pediatric patients and their families can
stay together in a home-away-from-home environment while they battle cancer or another serious disease. Through
generous donations from Aflac Japan’s sales agents, employees, and officers, three Parents House locations– two
in Tokyo and one in Osaka– have helped thousands of children battling health issues, as well as the families that
support them.
THE PROMISE OF AFLAC’S TRUSTED BRAND
Along with quality products that deliver value and innovation, our effective advertising helps Aflac stand out in what
has become an increasingly crowded and competitive market. Aflac has continued to enhance its strong connection
with consumers through Aflac Duck commercials, which have captured the attention of Japanese citizens. In doing so,
we have successfully strengthened our brand, achieving overall brand awareness of around 97% in Japan.
In addition, Aflac Japan continues to create separate and unique Aflac Duck characters to market specific products
and help drive sales growth. For example, in 2009, we combined the Aflac Duck with the traditional Japanese cat
character, Maneki Neko, to promote our New EVER product. A survey showed that our commercials featuring the
cat/duck combination soared to number one status, beating out every other commercial – in every industry. The
success of the Maneki Neko Duck campaign surpassed our greatest expectations and literally became an overnight
advertising phenomenon.
Another character created by Aflac Japan called the Blue Duck promotes DAYS, the enhanced cancer insurance
policy introduced in 2011. The Blue Duck is intended to help instill peace and happiness – feelings that are fleeting
when someone is fighting cancer. The Blue Duck appears in serene commercials for DAYS that convey the importance
of cancer insurance coverage when a policyholder transforms into a claimant.
AFLAC JAPAN
AFLAC INCORPORATED 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW 15