DDB Hong Kong appointed as Manulife's agency of record

The win spans Manulife’s strategic branding and communications initiatives for its product lines including insurance, employee benefits and investment funds. There was no incumbent agency on the account. 

DDB Hong Kong is tasked with Manulife's new branding campaign under the positioning ‘For your future’. The agency is launching a large-scale, integrated campaign encompassing digital and social media elements in mid-October.

This move goes in tandem with the firm's optimistic plans for growth in Hong Kong. It is boosting the number of its agents by 52 per cent over the next five years, and also aims to build more partnerships with banks and independent distributors, in order to tap the strong demand for yuan-demoninated wealth products. 

Michael Huddart, executive vice president and chief executive officer for Manulife in Hong Kong, said there is a need to "let more people recognise the meanings and strengths" behind the brand.

That equates to a fresh brand perspective, awareness and differentiation in "Hong Kong’s cluttered market," Isabella Lau, vice president of customer service and strategic development for Manulife in Hong Kong continued.

Manulife is already a well-known household name in the territory serving a customer base of over 1.6 million over the past century. Its Canadian-based parent Manulife Financial was the first international insurer to list in Hong Kong.