Aflac recently made headlines with a survey revealing that the Columbus, Ga.-based direct writer wasthe No. 1 preferred carrier for voluntary insurance amongindependent insurance brokers. The survey of 358 brokers, conductedby business intelligence consulting firm Personified, alsorevealed a 25 percent increase in familiarity among brokers, thelargest increase of any carrier.

AA&B spoke with Ron Agypt, vice president of brokersales, about the Aflac for Brokers program and why "the Duck" isbecoming so popular with independent producers.

AA&B: What were the main reasons cited bysurvey respondents as why they liked doing business withAflac?

Agypt: The top reasons cited were:
1. Prompt and efficient claims payment; this was overwhelmingly thereason given (claims are paid in less than four days)
2. Great customer service (Aflac ranks No. 1 in overallsatisfaction with service levels among participating nationalinsurance carriers, according to Rockhopper Research's 2009Customer Loyalty Survey)
3. Stability
4. Easy to work with.

AA&B: Roughly how many independentagents/brokers represent Aflac?

Agypt: We are always seeking talentedentrepreneurs to join Aflac's sales force of 70,000 strong, ofwhich more than 22,000 are broker producers. Since we rolled outthe new broker initiative on January 5, 2009, the first half of theyear was educating brokers on the substantial changes we have madewith the Aflac for Brokers initiative. This third quarter saw asubstantial increase in new broker premium growth over the first,and the fourth quarter is showing even more momentum. Additionally,we have expanded the broker team with 15 new market vice presidentsacross the country and 100 broker development coordinators (BDCs)that act as our carrier reps strategically placed throughout theU.S. BDCs are responsible for developing and managing clientrelationships with insurance brokers. They serve as one local,single point of contact for brokers who are supported by marketvice presidents. They target large employer opportunities in theirmarket.

AA&B: What products are available toindependent agents/brokers, and which are the most popular withthem?

Agypt: As the marketplace has evolved,consumers and employers want to see more options in healthinsurance. To help address these needs, Aflac enhanced and/orlaunched new products so that more people can have access to thebenefits that our insurance policies provide, including a widerange of life products, short-term disability, Disability IncomeProtection Advantage (DIPA), Accident Indemnity Advantage (AIA),lump-sum products for cancer and critical illness, and AflacEssentials, a combination of accident, hospital confinementsickness indemnity and life. We are very excited about these newand enhanced products as we roll out group products through ourAflac Group Insurance platform. These include critical illness,accident, disability, whole life, mid med, cancer, hospitalindemnity plus, hospital indemnity product and term life. Our mostpopular products are accident, critical illness, disability andcancer.

AA&B: What marketing assistance do you offerthem?

Agypt: The newly launched Aflac Broker ServicesWeb site (www.aflacforbrokers.com) isour brokers' one-stop shop for marketing and service tools, as wellas Aflac services. Marketing tools are also available, from printand banner ads to billboards and presentation templates. With ourrecent acquisition of Continental American Insurance Company(CAIC), Aflac now offers both individual and group products. It isour belief that we will compete very favorably for broker businessbecause of a strong product portfolio, strong core enrollmentsystems and multiple value-added services that brokers can deliverto their clients. It's a winning formula for the brokercommunity.

AA&B: Do you offer different commission structuresfor independent versus captive agents?

Agypt: We offer a standardized compensationschedule across the country.

AA&B: Are there regions of the country where Aflacproducts are more popular with independentdistributors?

Agypt: Based on our sales trends, there isn't aparticular region where Aflac products are more prevalent in onemarket or another. Our market share is consistent across thecountry, including Puerto Rico & Guam.

AA&B: Progressive recently unveiled an advertisingcampaign highlighting its independent agent distributors. Anythingsimilar in the works for the Duck?

Agypt: Aflac recently launched a new integratedmarketing campaign: "You Don't Know Quack." The campaign isdesigned to take Aflac's brand awareness to a new level by movingconsumers from name recognition--and its iconic Aflac Duck--tounderstanding the type of insurance protection the companyprovides. Most Americans know the power of the Aflac brand, butdon't understand the products and services we offer. With our newcampaign, we're entering into a real dialogue with the public.

To support the Broker Initiative, the Aflac Duck will continueto show businesses how Aflac can help them provide employees withoutstanding benefits at no direct cost to their companiesthroughout the "You Don't Know Quack" campaign.