Aviva 2013 Annual Report Download - page 24

Aviva plc
Annual report and accounts 2013
22
Distribution
Access to customers
Our goal is to grow the share
of business generated from our own
channels by:
§Increasing sales through proprietary
channels
§Making better use of our experience in
other markets when developing new
distribution channels.
Build digital
We plan to enhance performance
and improve customer satisfaction by:
§Increasing our use of digital across all
businesses, both in sales processes and in
customer communication and servicing
§Investing in digital to support the growth
of our direct distribution.
Maintain diversication
We plan to maintain a diversied
distribution mix in each market by:
§Ensuring a more balanced distribution
portfolio in each country
§Building best practice capabilities in
bancassurance and broker channels and
supporting partners by launching
innovative products and technology.
Key statistics
in 2013
100
We have around 100
bancassurance/
distribution
agreements in place
22,000
We have around
22,000 sales
employees/Aviva tied
agents worldwide
Increase direct access to
customers, build digital,
maintain diversication
We will increase the share of business generated in
our own channels, introduce new technology for
distributors and customers, and maintain a diversied
distribution mix in each market.
Distribution today
Insurance has always been a ‘people business’
with strong relationships existing between
customers, distributors and insurers.
In each of our businesses, the spread of
distribution varies from country to country. For
example, in Spain the dominant distribution
channel is bancassurance, in Canada most
customers come to us via brokers and in Poland
we have a strong direct sales force. Many UK life
customers come to us via Independent Financial
Advisers (IFAs) whereas UK general insurance
customers are more likely to come to us directly.
Where distribution is going
A number of social, technological, regulatory and
economic trends are impacting the established
routes to market:
§In line with other industries, insurance has seen
a signicant increase in digitally-enabled
communications, services and transactions
§Bancassurance, the distribution of our
products through partners, remains a key
channel globally, with fast growth especially
in Asia and Eastern Europe
§The share of distribution by brokers, IFAs, tied
agents and direct sales forces in some of our
markets is falling as a result of customer choice.
Where we want Aviva distribution to be
§We are targeting a more balanced distribution
portfolio in each of our business units
§We will support our bancassurance and broker
partners by building best practice capabilities
§We have plans for more digital interaction with
customers across all channels.
Read more about our
distribution networks in
the market focus pages
on pages 30–42