Aflac
AFLAC introduced the AFLAC duck in the U.S. market to build brand awareness there. However, AFLAC’s brand awareness is very high in Japan. Should AFLAC use the same advertising campaign in Japan as it does in the United States? Is there any value to having identical advertising in both markets? Having introduced the maneki neko duck in Japan, should it now introduce it is the U.S. market as well?
Basically, AFLAC should definitely not use the same advertising campaign in Japan as it does in the US and likewise for the maneki neko duck in the US as it does in Japan, for two reasons: firstly, AFLAC is using advertising in the two countries to accomplish very different goals. In the US, AFLAC is trying to raise awareness about its products which therefore resulted in the introduction of the company’s mascot, the AFLAC duck which features in their attention-grabbing advertising campaign. This move seem to have reaped its dividends because according to surveys, 90 percent of Americans are now aware of the AFLAC brand; more important, policies in force have risen more than 50 percent and annual premiums have more than doubled since the duck commercials began in the United States. And the AFLAC duck has done more than simply increase the company’s American sales. AFLAC now sells the duck on its website and donates the proceeds to the children’s cancer centre in Atlanta. However in Japan, AFLAC differentiate its products from new competitors, and maintain its industry leading position. AFLAC specialises in supplemental insurance-insurance that covers specific types of problems such as cancer, disability, or accidents. AFLAC Japan strives to deliver high-quality service to its customers. In 2010, the average claim was settled by AFLAC in procedures to the needs of the local market. Consider its human resources practices, when the company first ventured into Japan, it copied the lifetime employment and seniority-based pay and promotion policies then current in Japan. In the
Basically, AFLAC should definitely not use the same advertising campaign in Japan as it does in the US and likewise for the maneki neko duck in the US as it does in Japan, for two reasons: firstly, AFLAC is using advertising in the two countries to accomplish very different goals. In the US, AFLAC is trying to raise awareness about its products which therefore resulted in the introduction of the company’s mascot, the AFLAC duck which features in their attention-grabbing advertising campaign. This move seem to have reaped its dividends because according to surveys, 90 percent of Americans are now aware of the AFLAC brand; more important, policies in force have risen more than 50 percent and annual premiums have more than doubled since the duck commercials began in the United States. And the AFLAC duck has done more than simply increase the company’s American sales. AFLAC now sells the duck on its website and donates the proceeds to the children’s cancer centre in Atlanta. However in Japan, AFLAC differentiate its products from new competitors, and maintain its industry leading position. AFLAC specialises in supplemental insurance-insurance that covers specific types of problems such as cancer, disability, or accidents. AFLAC Japan strives to deliver high-quality service to its customers. In 2010, the average claim was settled by AFLAC in procedures to the needs of the local market. Consider its human resources practices, when the company first ventured into Japan, it copied the lifetime employment and seniority-based pay and promotion policies then current in Japan. In the