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A new era of trust for Union Assurance

From a platform of care to a platform of trust, Union Assurance has transformed its image in the insurance sector with a new look, a new brand promise and a new logo. Union Assurance Chief Executive Officer Dirk Pereira explained that though the brand has changed, the core values of the insurer remain strong.

“We have a fresh brand promise that was created to deliver an unparalleled level of trust,” he said. “Trust is the most important factor in our business because at the end of the day, insurance is a long term agreement and the consumer looks for a trusted partner to work with,” he said.

The new brand symbolizes this value proposition by combining a warm orange and a firm grey in an unbreakable link of energy and strength. “We are building on the trust that we have acquired in over two decades of business in the insurance sector,” Pereira said, “And we are now geared to build on that success.”

He said that the entire company with a workforce of 2800 empowering 50 branches across the island, was aligned to embrace this new opportunity. “We have the backing of our shareholders and as a team we are aligned for this change. Our internal processes are also aligned to deliver this new promise,” he said.

The process of re-branding the iconic Union Assurance image, came after extensive research. General Manager Marketing and Distribution Rukman Weeraratne said, “We at Union Assurance kept our ear to the ground and felt the heartbeat of the consumer clearly. We know what they are looking for and we have equipped ourselves to service their needs.”

“In Union Assurance, we have two lines of business. Our extensive internal and external research showed that in general insurance, the people primarily look for convenience, while in the life insurance sector, they look for transparency. We combine the values of transparency and convenience with respectfulness from the corporate level.”

He said that by convenience, it meant that the customer wanted policies that can be bought and claimed easily, along with those that were easy to understand. For life insurance, transparency was the key with customers needing the assurance that what they saw is what they got.

Clarity is vital in life insurance, he explained as it was a long term agreement with the firm so the customer needed to know what he would end up with clearly, in the end. “Along with a respectful approach for all parties including our customers and shareholders, the three values within the core value of trust is what makes our new promise powerful and relevant,” he said.

The new brand look combines sunshine orange which represents energy, joy and happiness with grey, which denotes a concrete colour of strength and stability. “The logo is also easy and flexible to the eye with no rough edges,” he said, “It reflects us as a company. We are easy to deal with and flexible.” The new brand also comes with a new logo. “Trust in your tomorrow, today.”

As a composite insurance company, dealing in both life and general insurance business, Union Assurance operates across all segments of the insurance market.

The company carries a comprehensive portfolio of services across fields such as marine, fire and motor insurance, as well as medical insurance, personal accident and other liability covers.

While 2009 may have been a challenging one for many corporate firms, Union Assurance emerged with a successful year behind them. The company was endorsed as the Best Insurer in 2009 after winning the coveted National Business Excellence award and has been consistently winning the trust and the confidence of the people in Sri Lanka.

Trendywear school donation

Trendywear (Pvt) Ltd donated school uniforms and other material to the children in two remote schools in the Katupotha area.

The selected schools were in a distant village area in Kurunegala district with no proper facilities for the education of the children.

All those students hailed from very difficult family backgrounds and most of the parents earn on cultivation, which is the main source of their income.

It is not sufficient for them to fulfill their children’s school needs and some of the schools have been closed due to non-attendance of students.

Trendywear is continuing this donation among the children since 2006.

Every student was provided with material for uniforms, exercise books, school bags, shoes and socks and all stationery items required for the coming year at a ceremony with the participation of the Managing Director of the company Ramya Weerakoon.

eChannelling now on Dialog Fixed-Line

Dialog Telekom, has extended its eChannelling service to its fixed-line customer base. Dialog Fixed-Line users need to dial 225 to channel a doctor from their homes or even office.

eChannelling is a value-added facility offered by Dialog to its mobile base, and the extension of this facility to fixed-line users will increase customer satisfaction and convenience.

Dialog Fixed-Line customers can remotely book their desired doctors by dialing 225 from their phones, and the charges for this service will comprise the doctor’s and hospital fee and the processing fee; offering a seamless hassle-free channelling process. Customers could receive the confirmation details over the phone or via SMS as desired.

Dialog Fixed Telephony and Data Services, Chief Operating Officer Suren Goonewardena said: “Advancements in the mobile sphere have proffered significant benefits to user experience in the telecommunications industry, and we are happy to extend such facility to the fixed-line segment.

Information Communication Technology has transformed lives and how we do business, and Dialog has put Sri Lanka at the forefront of this global transition with superior technology and customer-focused innovations.”

With new-concept ‘World of Hayleys’ outlet:

Hayleys returns to Jaffna

The Hayleys Group has rejuvenated its decades-old involvement with Sri Lanka’s northern peninsula by choosing its capital Jaffna as the location for the first of a new-concept group showroom branded ‘The World of Hayleys.’

Designed to showcase the diversified blue chip conglomerate’s multifarious products and services under one roof in a physical representation of the rationale behind its corporate logo, the new showroom opened on December 28 at Jaffna’s Stanley Road and is to be replicated later in Colombo.

This first ‘World of Hayleys’ outlet was inaugurated in the presence of a distinguished gathering and a cross section of the people of Jaffna.

“The depth and scope of the businesses that Hayleys is involved in makes presenting the Group to the public through its products and services at a single location a huge challenge,” the Group’s Chairman Mohan Pandithage said. “Nevertheless, we have made a commendable effort to do so, and selected Jaffna as our first location in acknowledgement of the role Hayleys can play in its post-conflict revival as well as our historic links with the North,” he said.

He said the Hayleys name was known among the farming community in the north, since Group companies had supplied agricultural inputs and advisory services to the peninsula from the early 1960s.

“Unfortunately, the North became inaccessible to many of our Group’s newer products and services for the past 25 years, a situation we hope to rectify as speedily as possible,” Pandithage said.

Located at 47, Stanley Road, Jaffna, the ‘World of Hayleys’ extends to 2000 square feet on two floors, with the ground floor dedicated to the display of diverse products, from coir and rubber floor mats and coverings, cushions, mattresses, household rubber gloves, activated carbon face masks and odour removal products, to personal care products, fast moving consumer goods, lighting products, cameras and films, agricultural inputs, value-added agricultural produce, agro equipment and even power generators. Information and access to services such as transportation and cargo logistics and travel services will also be accessible through this outlet.

“In all, the ‘World of Hayleys’ will showcase more than 150 products and services and accommodate over 600 stock-keeping units,” Hayleys Group Director Rizvi Zaheed said. “It will also serve as a nucleus for exploring business opportunities and sustainable partnerships such as out-grower programs which Hayleys have successfully set up in other parts of the country,” he said. Agricultural produce like gherkins and bananas to Palmyrah fibre are potential areas currently being explored.

He said Hayleys companies in the Agri Inputs sector had maintained links with the farmers of Jaffna even through the times of conflict, while the Group’s brush brand ‘Ravi’ had enjoyed strong equity in the peninsula. “We hope that the World of Hayleys outlet will be the catalyst to a revival and strengthening of our links with the northern community,” Zaheed said.

HSBC cards made more secure now

More safer to use by containing a chip:

HSBC constantly strives to live up to its promise of exceeding customer expectations.

HSBC has made its credit cards more safer to use by containing a chip that stores and processes customer information in a secured and encrypted environment.

The global expertise and cutting edge security control systems monitor all cardholder transaction 24 hours everyday to alert cardholders of any unusual transactions.

Every time you purchase an airline ticket using the HSBC credit card, customers will be automatically entitled to an International Travel Accident Insurance up to USD300,000 and Travel Medical cover up to USD75,000.

Cardholders can access worldwide assistance services absolutely free in case of any emergency. Hence, HSBC makes travelling so easy with complete peace of mind. Over 120 million HSBC credit cardholders and 29 million Visa and MasterCard merchants worldwide, the HSBC credit card stands tall amongst others, differentiating itself through its privileges and significant benefits offered to its customers. “Sign on Your Dreams” is yet another initiative to experience a truly global proposition that is attributed by strong value enhancements and dimensions.

The dimensions are vivid, making the card most appealing to a wider spectrum, as it offers some of the best value additions, enabling credit card customers to enjoy different aspects of life to the fullest.

HSBC credit cards offer the recognition and prestige customers deserve at every corner store in the city to far corners of the world.

It is welcomed at over 15,000 outlets locally and 29 million merchant locations globally and at over 1.4 million ATMs across the globe.

DSI launches Disney slippers and shoes

Disney has won the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. In 1923, the man behind the dream of Disney, Sam Walton, created the brand ‘Disney’, making his dream a reality. With a simple, “Get Set Go” the brand was a hit, spanning across the globe with products and services that captivated the imagination of many people. With its rapid growth, Disney progressed to extend authorized licenses to many selected companies around the world to franchise and produce its vast range of memorabilia and services.

Among the expansive, yet selective list of countries that Disney has been able to attract, Sri Lanka too was included. Disney was introduced to Sri Lanka through an Indian venture, of which Disney India has given authorized licenses to many reputed Sri Lankan Companies.

D. Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd., has now taken a step further by obtaining licenseship for the Disney brand via Tendy Connection (Pvt) Ltd., making them the first local organization to associate Disney characters in footwear that are being manufactured under an authorized license.

DSI launched their new range of Disney footwear products manufactured by them for the first time in Sri Lanka on December 5 at the Golden Mile, Mt. Lavinia. Disney lovers from the 5 - 10 age group were invited to the launch party which was a grand success in engaging their young imaginations with those of Disneys’ popular iconic characters.

The all new range of Disney footwear products currently cater to vast array of consumers from infants to teenagers, promises to grow further into Disney footwear for youngsters in the future.

The new range of Disney items are now available at selected DSI showrooms in Kollupitiya, Bambalapitiya, Negombo, Galle, Nuwara Eliya, Nugegoda, Mt. Lavinia and Hikkaduwa.