Bangkok--22 Feb--CIGNA CIGNA Insurance Public Company Limited, an affiliate of Philadelphia-based CIGNA Corporation, is set to make a second strategic move in Thailand in order to further expand on its growth in the personal accident and health insurance business sector. CIGNA, which recorded the growth of over 40% in 2007 from its affinity-based telemarketing business, will launch the Direct Response TV-based commercial in Thailand in the middle of this month. Mr. Steven Lee Novkov, Chairman & CEO of CIGNA Insurance Public Company Limited, said that CIGNA, which made a business debut in Thailand in 2002, through CIGNA International Marketing Co. Ltd., has a strong in-house team of telemarketers to promote their products through the company's telesales channel. CIGNA commenced selling its own products through this channel after acquiring a Thai insurance license in 2006. Its business activities have earned support from several financial and non-financial institution partners. As of the end of 2007, CIGNA had more than 100 telemarketers operating from its head office call center on Ploenchit Rd, Bangkok. On February 18 this year, the company will make a new strategic move by deploying the Direct Response TV to promote its products. The launch will make it become the first insurance company in Thailand to embrace this innovative sales channel, following successful launches in Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand over the past two years. Direct Response TV is targeted to create immediate consumer response to the company's products and to provide this new and convenient channel for potential customers to obtain more information of the insurance plans, as well as to buy the plans through telephone orders. “Although selling insurance through the DRTV is new in the Thai insurance industry, CIGNA’s DRTV strategy initiative has resulted in an enormous success in the other Asia markets”, said Mr. Silparat Watthanakasetr, CIGNA’s Strategic Marketing Director in Thailand. “In South Korea, where the company's DRTV campaign was first launched in 2005, sales from the channel jumped seven-fold by the end of 2007 from 2005. In Taiwan, the company's first annual premium recorded a double-digit growth in 2007 from day one when the DRTV was first launched in 2006. Due to the enthusiastic response from other countries, DRTV has become one of the CIGNA International’s strategic initiatives worldwide” added Mr. Silparat. Mr. Novkov added that the company would invest more than 50 million Baht in launching its DRTV campaigns during the first half of this year. The success of the policy advertising will be measured by the number of the incoming calls to CIGNA's call center after the commercial is on air. Its call center telemarketers will pick up the calls and sell personal accident policies to the targeted customers. In keeping with CIGNA’s goal of providing value-for-money personal insurance products to broad segments of end-users, the first campaign CIGNA will promote the “Guaranteed Acceptance” Personal Accident Insurance plans by targeting senior citizens. CIGNA will distinguish its products from those of the competitors by offering high sum-insured coverage without the requirement of the health questions or medical records — this condition also applies to those up to age 70. The company’s policy packages offer various choices of indemnity levels and premiums rates, starting from the minimum premium of 249 Baht per month. The maximum indemnity amount the company offers to the customers is 2,000,000 Baht for accidental death or permanent disability, and 50,000 Baht for medical expenses for an accident (see attached table for product detail). CIGNA also has recruited Thai veteran actor Mr. Nirut Sirichanya as the presenter of its PA Products. "CIGNA is everywhere in California, where I had lived a couple of years ago,” said Khun Nirut during his first meeting with the CIGNA executives. His enthusiastic and energetic character has relished the advertising. Furthermore, CIGNA will offer a free VCD, featuring the tips of nutritious and healthy eating habits to all of those who call-in to the telemarketers during the initial period of the campaign. The value of the VCD is 150 Baht. With the expected success of the DRTV channel, the company is targeted to see strong growth of 60% its first-year annual premium during 2008. In 2007, the company’s first-year annual premium stood at around 500 million Baht. Facts about CIGNA CIGNA Corporation and its subsidiaries serve millions of people worldwide through medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, life, accident and disability benefit plans and insurance. Known as a health and related benefits company, our involvement with customers of all kinds goes deeper than handling insurance claims. While many businesses self-insure their health plans, employers look to us for the expertise, services and tools that help improve the health and well-being of their employees. Members seek our guidance in making informed health care decisions. Partners seek our direct marketing expertise to enrich their loyalty programs and services to their customers. Individuals outside the US rely on our insurance products and services to enhance their financial security. From our roots in the U.S. cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Hartford, Connecticut, CIGNA has grown and diversified. Today, the CIGNA companies maintain networks of sales and service offices in major markets around the globe, staffed by some 24,000 employees worldwide. As CIGNA Corporation’s global business division, CIGNA International provides accident and health insurance to mass consumer audiences through successful direct marketing, telemarketing and bancassurance disciplines. Currently CIGNA International has a strong operational presence in Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim, including Thailand. For more Information, please contact : Pimpaporn Somkiatweera (PIM) CIGNA Insurance Public Company Limited Tel : 02 651 5995 ext. 205 , 081 847 4657 [email protected]