MindShare fends off rivals for Prudential

MindShare had been working with Prudential for some time on a project basis. Abhishek Bhatia, Prudential's director, marketing, brand and communications, said that the insurer would focus on sharpening the brand's image and making its products more relevant to consumers this year. "Prudential is the only brand in Malaysia with a human face, which signifies the brand promise of always listening and understanding our customers needs," said Bhatia, "In a marketplace cluttered with companies with similar sounding promises of 'a better life', our stance of a company that listens rather than talks down to customers stands out." At the end of 2005, Prudential invested RM 1 million in an advertising campaign aimed at boosting the number of female policyholders. The campaign promotes its PRUlady policy, which offers coverage against illnesses such as breast, cervical and ovarian cancer. MindShare won the account following a review that began in February last year aimed at finding a media partner to help re-energise the brand. According to Bhatia, MindShare Malaysia was selected for its versatility and creative approach as well as for demonstrating "capability and comfort" in planning for and buying a variety of media options from pop-ups to billboards, and strong below-the-line services. "Prudential Assurance is one of the main insurance players in our country," said MindShare Malaysia CEO Henry Tan. "For our part, we will work in partnership with the Prudential team to lead the market by ensuring continuous, relevant and innovative solutions for its communications strategies." Bhatia added that Prudential was maintaining its relationships with a few local and international creative agencies; however, a pitch may be held in the near future to select one agency for a long-term partnership.