PRWeek U.S. Awards 2019: The Winners
Originally published by PRWeek
CORPORATE BRANDING
WINNER: Aflac, FleishmanHillard, KWI, Marina Maher Communications, and Carol Cone On Purpose
CAMPAIGN NAME: Aflac CSR — A Well Hatched Plan
The average child with cancer undergoes 1,000 days of treatment. This painful process can be a lonely one without friends.
After Aflac found that children’s emotional needs are sometimes unmet, it created My Special Aflac Duck. The social robot, which helps patients understand their condition and communicate with their parents and doctors, was unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show.
A judge called it a "moving and touching effort that shows us the heart behind Aflac’s corporate brand."
For years, Aflac’s CSR profile has flown under the radar. Understanding the value a robust CSR profile brings to a business, the brand embarked on a campaign to show how it was fulfilling its promise "to help people in their time of need." Research and development workshop Sproutel and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta assisted the design process, which included input from 85 child cancer patients, parents, medical pros, and other experts.
The brand used My Special Aflac Duck to position its execs as thought leaders on CSR best practices and as a jumping-off point to discuss its childhood cancer support.
Reputation Institute found Aflac achieved a 2.8 point year over year boost in 2018. Also, Aflac’s corporate Facebook page saw an almost 12% increase in page likes and a 257% rise in average monthly engagement.
