Singapore – AIA Singapore has partnered with Havas Village Singapore’s integrated specialists from Socialyse, Havas Play, and Arena Media Singapore to launch its latest campaign, raising awareness about the importance of having adequate critical illness (CI) coverage.

AIA Singapore’s campaign features a heartfelt 5-minute film titled ‘Confessions of a Liar’ that spotlights the intricacies of familial bonds, conveyed through the playful dynamic between the middle-aged protagonist and his mother through the different seasons in his life, including a phase of critical illness. 

The protagonist opens the film with a humorous speech in front of his loved ones as he reflects on the playful exchanges he had with his mother through the years. His humour would remain as he recounts their enduring bond that stayed even in the challenging times of illness, serving as a resilient force that keeps them together despite the adversities of cancer. 

The campaign film aims to drive awareness about the need to be adequately protected against critical illnesses and for Singaporeans to have accessible CI coverage like AIA’s UCC plan, which covers up to 150 medical conditions and 73 critical illnesses across any stage. 

The campaign comes after Havas’ Arena Media Singapore was reappointed by AIA Singapore as its media agency of record (AOR). Arena Media Singapore currently oversees the campaign, which was rolled out using a multi-channel approach, including TVC, out-of-home executions, video, programmatic, and social ads.

Kenny Yap, managing director of Socialyse, Havas Play, and Havas Red, said, “At Havas, we are all about being meaningful. That is, to deliver work that makes a positive difference to the brands and businesses we work with, from our client partnerships to consumer engagements. We are humbled by the integrated opportunity to collaborate with AIA Singapore to launch this heartfelt thematic film with a touch of humour, elevating awareness and importance of critical illness coverage.” 

Singapore – Arena Media Singapore has been reappointed as the media agency of record for AIA Singapore following a competitive pitch. As media agency of record, Arena Media Singapore will lead AIA’s media planning and buying across traditional and digital channels.

The appointment is effective immediately as of this writing.

Arena Media Singapore’s reappointment by AIA Singapore reaffirms the insurer’s confidence in their ability to drive innovative, digital-first media solutions. Together, they have embarked on notable campaigns like the launch of AIA Health360, a comprehensive suite of solutions that covers the full gamut of wellness.

These includes addressing their financial, physical and mental wellness needs to empower Singaporeans in proactively managing their health and wellness needs, aligning with AIA Singapore’s brand promise to help people live ‘Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.’

Deanson Lee, head of digital at Havas Media Network, expressed his enthusiasm about the continued partnership, saying, “We are honoured to further our journey with AIA Singapore and continue driving innovation and excellence together. Leveraging our wealth of insights and digital acumen, we are committed to supporting AIA in making a positive impact and advancing holistic wellness. We eagerly anticipate the future and look forward to achieving more meaningful results together.”

Meanwhile, Allison Chew, head of PR, brand and marketing at AIA Singapore, underscores the significance of this collaboration, stating, “Arena Media has consistently demonstrated unwavering dedication and keen expertise in navigating the media and digital landscape. Their adeptness in shaping strategies that foster meaningful connections with our audience has been instrumental in delivering enriching experiences to our customers and community, who are at the heart of AIA Singapore’s business.”

Singapore – AIA Singapore has announced the appointments of Irma Hadikusuma as chief marketing and proposition officer and Peter Lee as chief technology officer. Their roles will take effect on December 1 and November this year respectively. Meanwhile, current chief customer and digital officer Melita Teo will be assuming the role of chief executive officer at AIA Philippines.

Hadikusuma has been instrumental in building innovative, customer-centric and numerous award-winning solutions for AIA Singapore, recently as its chief product officer. Under Irma’s leadership, powered by insights and analytics, the integrated marketing and proposition function will propel AIA Singapore’s customer-focused agenda.

She was previously a regional business development director with AIA Group, where she was instrumental in delivering key strategic agendas across multiple nascent and mature countries. Prior to that, she was the head of product and investment-linked fund for AIA Singapore, playing a pivotal role in pioneering many first-in-market solutions as well as innovative long-term savings strategy for AIA Group.

Meanwhile, Peter will be responsible for developing and implementing world-class, cutting-edge technology strategies to realise AIA Singapore’s vision and business priorities as a leading life insurer. 

He will focus on innovations to continually enhance customers’ experiences with the company, ensuring that AIA Singapore’s tech and digital solutions are aligned with Singapore’s Smart Nation ambitions; and bolstering operational efficiencies and internal processes by developing a comprehensive technological advancement roadmap to transform the business. 

He began his professional career at Accenture and brings a wealth of experience backed by a strong leadership track record in various country and regional leadership roles at New York Life, Zurich Insurance and MetLife Insurance. He joins AIA Singapore from Malaysia where he was the Asian and African markets general manager of group operations at AXA. There, Peter led the IT shared services operations and digital transformation efforts in Asia and Africa.

Lastly, Teo brings with her a wealth of experience and proven expertise to her new role as chief executive officer at AIA Philippines. In her most recent role as chief customer and digital officer, she was instrumental in strengthening the customer, brand, health, and wellness propositions of AIA Singapore. 

Under her leadership, the enterprise-wide analytics capabilities and usage were enhanced, and the delivery of an integrated digital experience across customers and distribution was accelerated. Melita’s successful track record at AIA Singapore, coupled with her deep understanding of customer needs and her expertise in operations, digital and healthcare transformation, will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of AIA Philippines. 

Wong Sze Keed, chief executive officer at AIA Singapore, said, “The combined marketing and proposition role will further energise our brand and customer value proposition. Irma’s appointment is a testament to her achievements in advancing our commitment to customers through curating a compelling suite of innovative solutions which sets AIA Singapore apart. Her impeccable leadership track record and commitment to excellence will be key in accelerating AIA Singapore’s customer and growth agenda.”

She also added, “I am also delighted to welcome Peter on board as our new chief technology officer. Peter is a highly respected and experienced leader with over 30 years of experience in the insurance and finance industry, where he has led a series of digital transformation projects in Asia and Africa across infrastructure, application and service Delivery. I am confident that Peter will be a strong addition to our management team and will continue to drive transformation for AIA Singapore’s digitalisation agenda. More importantly, with both Peter and Irma’s appointments, I’m confident that AIA Singapore will continue to strengthen our focus on customer excellence and the way we use technology across our organisation to deliver the best service experience.”

Allison Chew, the head of PR, Brand, and Marketing at AIA Singapore, is recognised at MARKETECH APAC’s Empowered Women Awards 2023 as one of our ‘Empowered Women in Marketing’.

Since 2020, Allison has been spearheading the PR, Brand, and Marketing department of AIA Singapore, a leading life insurer in Singapore. Her rich professional background combines experience from both the client and agency sides – giving her a holistic understanding of the PR, brand, and marketing spectrum. Allison has led the marketing teams of some of the biggest corporations in Singapore, such as Singtel. Meanwhile, on the agency side, she has previously worked at acclaimed international agencies, Dentsu and McCann Worldgroup.

Developing brand campaigns with a heart

AIA Singapore’s brand promise is enabling people to live ‘Healthier, Longer, Better Lives’. Beyond the brand and communications objective of its marketing campaigns to remain top-of-mind amongst consumers, Allison has developed innovative initiatives to engage Singaporeans with genuine social advocacy in mind.

One of her notable achievements is scaling up the brand’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by launching creative and impactful campaigns, resulting in business growth, increased engagement, and loyalty. Recognising the potential to strengthen AIA’s commitment to social responsibility, Allison launched the AIA Better Lives Fund in 2021, strategically consolidating the company’s diverse CSR initiatives into a unified entity.

One such remarkable initiative under AIA Better Lives Fund was the ‘Grant-A-Wish’ campaign. Leveraging the popularity of football in Singapore, Allison led her team in partnering with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (Spurs) players by auctioning their match-worn shirts and exclusive merchandise and featuring them in a social challenge – The AIA Header Challenge – on Instagram and TikTok. These activities generated over 3.6 million engagements across Facebook and Instagram and raised about S$100,000.

Amongst other significant campaigns under her helm was the launch of the AIA Green Pledge of S$5 million in 2021 to the National Parks Board’s (NParks) registered charity, Garden City Fund. This initiative would see the planting of 16,666 trees in Singapore’s parks and nature reserves over five years, making AIA’s contribution towards more green spaces across the city to the OneMillionTrees movement and Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Tree programme the largest by an organisation to date.

Nurturing consumers’ passions

One of the challenges of marketing a brand within the insurance space is making such a complex industry understandable and relatable to customers.

Under Allison’s leadership, AIA Singapore was able to embrace its inherent brand character while remaining adaptable to consumers’ needs. Allison led the team by ensuring their ears were kept on the ground, constantly listening to consumers’ needs and passions. With Singaporeans being fervent football fans, Allison identified the opportunity to leverage AIA’s football assets given its global principal partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, building stronger relationships and positive associations between the brand and its customers and community.

By leveraging football, Allison spearheaded the development of engaging campaigns and experiences that allowed the audience to connect with AIA on a more relatable level, which is fundamental in forging brand affinity and positive reputation building. These campaigns established a compelling and dynamic brand image that also differentiated AIA from its competitors. Allison’s leadership and strategic thinking have played a pivotal role in positioning AIA as a forward-thinking insurer that leverages sports to connect with audiences.

With this strategy, Allison launched a series of CSR initiatives with football as their theme, under the wider AIA Better Lives Fund umbrella. Aside from the ‘Grant A Wish’ campaign, Allison also elevated AIA Singapore’s flagship fundraising initiative, ‘AIA Better Lives Charity Golf and Dinner” in September 2022, by inviting Teddy Sheringham, a Spurs legend, to participate in a breakfast session with the media followed by the golf tournament and charity dinner event.

In a similar vein, Allison leveraged AIA’s partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club with the support of its International Development Coaches in the AIA Kids’ Football Clinics, which encouraged children and their families to live healthier, more active lives. Through its partnership with Spurs, AIA Singapore was able to use sports as an anchor – which correlates to its Healthier, Longer, Better Lives brand promise. This contributed to the AIA Better Lives Fund, administered by the Community Chest, which aims to create greater access to opportunities for education, growth, and development of its beneficiaries. This has highlighted AIA Singapore’s authenticity as a brand that is committed to promoting healthy living and doing good for the wider community.

An empathetic and empowered leader

Allison leads by genuine empathy, treating her team members as individuals with unique talents and invaluable perspectives. Her leadership is guided by mentorship, paving the way for her team to achieve success on a professional and personal level.

Under her guidance, the team thrived in an environment where they are engaged and empowered to do their best. As a result, her team members have grown to be recognised as experts in their fields. By leading with empathy and purpose, Allison is a mentor and a friend to her team. She has made a lasting impact not only on the people who have personally worked with her, but also on the company as a whole.

“As a woman leader at AIA Singapore, I’m inspired by our diversity-focused culture and my fellow female colleagues, who always strive for excellence, and are never afraid to speak up,” remarked Allison.

Check out who else made it to the Empowered Women Awards 2023 Winners’ list.

Singapore – Insurance company AIA Singapore has created a new role within the firm, chief product proposition officer (CPPO), and it has elevated its former regional business development director, Irma Hadikusuma, to take on the new position, where she officially starts in September.

The new role was created as part of AIA Singapore’s commitment to focusing on reorienting strategic priorities to stay ahead of the curve and provide innovative experiences and propositions to customers.

As part of her elevation, Hadikusuma and her new product proposition team will be providing strategic direction to drive the innovation, development, and management of a compelling, customer-centric, and synergetic proposition portfolio for all the company’s distribution channels. 

Hadikusuma brings with her more than 18 years of experience. She joined AIA Singapore in 2013 as head of customer segment management, and this was followed by a five-year stint as head of product, funds development, and implementation team, overseeing the development, management, and implementation of products, as well as ‘Investment Linked Policy’ (ILP) funds in Singapore. Prior to joining AIA Singapore, she has also held several actuarial, business development, and marketing roles at various life insurance firms.

Sze Keed Wong, AIA Singapore’s chief executive officer, commented that she is delighted to welcome Hadikusuma as the new chief product proposition officer, where she will play an essential role in our transformation into an ‘Organization of the Future’ and digital-first life insurer.

“With her extensive and rounded experience in marketing and actuarial science, Irma will lead AIA Singapore’s ambition to elevate our innovative offerings to a whole new level, all with the intention of fulfilling our brand promise of empowering Singaporeans to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives,” said Wong.

Singapore – Joanna Ong-Ash, Singaporean insurance company AIA’s head of brand and corporate communications, has recently parted ways with the company after a decade of service to set up her own communications practice, Bravery Communications.

In AIA, Ash was responsible for handling all aspects of strategic brand management and integrated marketing communications as well as the company’s corporate communications and public and media relations.

Ash was the one who launched the popular wellness program by AIA, AIA Vitality, in 2013.

Some of her notable projects included spearheading the launch of AIA Vitality in 2013, which was then Singapore’s first comprehensive wellness program. Ash was also the communications lead who launched AIA’s first-in-market critical illness plan for those with Type II diabetics and pre-diabetics, and the first-in-market critical illness plan of AIA that covers mental health conditions as part of AIA’s centennial celebrations in 2019.

Her fresh entrepreneurial move also marks her exit from corporate life. Ash has more than 20 years of marketing expertise under her belt, working for several notable brands such as financial services American Express and Mastercard, Singapore-headquartered multinational bank UOB, and insurance company Aviva.

Speaking to MARKETECH APAC, Ash said, “I am passionate about growing brands that engage. I believe that developing a strong, compelling narrative is critical to [developing] a brand [that] is relatable and loved – just as clients hire agencies they look forward to working with, people [buying] products and services from brands they like.”

Ash further said, “This is the foundation [with] which I am establishing my own communications consultancy. Having spent the last 25 years shaping global brands on the other side, I recognize the importance of the brand to drive business outcomes and this is what I look to do for my clients.”

Ash officially assumes the title of director at Bravery Communications. With a trademark hashtag #BeBrave right off the bat, the new agency will be delivering to brands an array of marketing and creative services such as in brand, communications, marketing, PR, and content as well as crisis management, and content strategy.

Aside from the new marketing agency, Ash has concurrently been appointed as the consulting lead in Singapore, for Hong Kong-based marketing consultancy Neon Leaders as part of its expansion plans in the region.

Singapore – Insurance company AIA Singapore has announced that it will be offering a complimentary insurance plan called AIA #ShareTheLove, specifically dedicated to essential workers, where beneficiaries will be nominated through Facebook or Instagram.

The company said that the new insurance plan is part of its efforts to pay tribute to essential workers. The plan will cover COVID-19 and 21 infectious diseases including dengue fever.

The nomination started yesterday, September 9, where members of the public may nominate a family member or a friend provided that the individual is an essential worker and a Singapore resident.

Those who wish to nominate will be asked to post a photo or video of the essential worker on their Facebook or Instagram page and include a message of appreciation with at least 100 words with a focus on the person’s story of resilience and why the insurance is the best gift for him or her. According to the mechanics, the post, in order to qualify must be set to public, must tag AIA Singapore’s social media accounts, and should include the hashtags #ShareTheLove and #AIASG.

Once a story is selected, AIA will be giving the free insurance to both the person who submitted the story and the nominee.

The initiative is part of a regional AIA #ShareTheLove movement taking place across Asia. The movement also saw the implementation of other assistance programs such as AIA representatives’ pledge to donate a portion of their policy sales towards the company’s adopted charities.

AIA Singapore Chief Customer and Digital Officer Melita Teo said, “These workers have put the communities’ needs above their own health and wellbeing. Aside from COVID-19, the exposure to infectious diseases is not over even after ending their work, as dengue cases continue to plague homes. By engaging the help of the community at large, we hope to play a part in bringing more of these amazing stories of resilience to light and paying tribute to our essential workforce. This is a little gesture of appreciation for the sacrifices that they have and continue to make as we deal with this crisis.”