Tokio Marine Life Insurance Singapore wins for its social and marketing initiatives in the Insurance Asia Awards 2022

Tapping into New Demographics and Giving Back to the Community.

As COVID-19 restrictions ease, it is evident that the pandemic has impacted the way individuals live and the way organisations do business today.

At the pandemic’s peak, many organisations showed their true worth and stepped up to serve their employees and other communities. In the insurance sector in Singapore, Tokio Marine Life Insurance Singapore (TMLS) was amongst those that embraced corporate social responsibility (CSR).

For the impact of their efforts, the company was awarded the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Initiative of the Year and the Marketing Initiative of the Year for Singapore at the Insurance Asia Awards 2022.

The awards programme gathers Asia's leading insurance companies and recognises their exceptional initiatives, products, and solutions. Since 2016, this prestigious award has honoured over 130 companies from 30 countries.

Customers and the Community Benefit

“At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, we were looking at what we could do for our customers and communities. This gave birth to the #goCare campaign,” said Gilbert Pak, Chief Marketing Officer at TMLS.

This first #goCare initiative was launched in January 2020, when the insurer provided financial relief to policyholders who contracted COVID-19.

The second wave of the #goCare campaign extended care to the larger community, where the company distributed 1,000 hygiene kits to the TMLS staff and Agency Force, the elderly, and the needy in March 2020, via AWWA. Each kit contained five masks, vitamin C pills, and hand sanitiser.

In March of that year, the company also delivered 2,000 snack boxes to four hospitals: Sengkang General Hospital; Singapore General Hospital; KK Women's and Children's Hospital; and Changi General Hospital, according to Pak, “to show appreciation to the dedicated medical professionals safeguarding Singaporeans’ health.”

“Our #goCare efforts have garnered prestigious accolades awarded by Singapore Business Review and HR Excellence Awards 2020,” Pak recalled.

These initiatives were followed by a Mid-Autumn Festival CSR programme in 2020, where TMLS distributed 200 boxes of homemade mooncakes to healthcare professionals and patients of the Home Nursing Foundation (HNF) to spread cheer during the festival.

In November 2021, the company launched the “Caring From Top To Toe” programme, which saw the setup of mobile massage stations at HNF centres and headquarters for three days to give 30-minute massages to frontliners.

“This came in the latter part of the COVID period. We are always looking into which communities we can contribute the most to,” Pak said. “We engaged qualified, visually handicapped masseurs from a mobile massage team. During the pandemic, they faced a dip in bookings. We were glad to offer them the opportunity to showcase their adept massage skills.”

TMLS again supported the HNF during three of its centres’ annual Chinese New Year celebrations this year by sponsoring lunch buffets, daily essentials, and food-filled goodie bags, as well as providing entertainment to further boost the three-day festivities. Volunteers from the Agency Force also participated in the event by helping to distribute goodie bags and red packets to the seniors.

New Initiatives Impact Market Reach 

Pak also noted TMLS' efforts at tapping on influencers such as local celebrity hosts Diana Ser and actor-singer Gavin Teo to introduce its newly rolled-out Investment-Linked Plans (ILPs) to a younger demographic in the second half of 2021. 

 “We are dedicated to delivering on our commitment of caring for our customers through all life stages and situations,” Pak shared. “Two or three years ago, our average customer was in the age range of 40s to 50s. Nowadays, our average customer is down to 30 to 45 years. Engaging influencers helped to widen the demographics of our customer segment.”

Even as the global situation evolves, the company does not see this hindering their efforts to continue with their CSR commitment and intends to launch new initiatives to benefit different communities. This year, it is looking into demonstrate its support for persons living with dementia and their caregivers.

"The last two years have been a test for TMLS to stand by our commitment to be a Good Company that makes a positive difference for our stakeholders, be it customers or the wider society," Pak explained.