Technology is the single most impactful force that is shaping how the world is doing business today. A formidable friend or foe, it remains the bridge that connects customers who require information on the go in the most convenient manner. Riding this wave of change, Tune Insurance has realigned its business focus and refreshed its brand proposition by reintroducing itself as Tune Protect.
“Customer demands are pushing change. Demands for easier access to information, simplified processes and personalised experience are just among some of the most prevalent influencers of change,” says Junior Cho, CEO of Tune Protect Group. “The all-new Tune Protect is catering to these demands by making its product more relevant to the diverse lifestyle needs of customers in an easy, convenient and simple manner.”
Tune Protect makes its debut in the digital insurance business with four lifestyle products on its website tuneprotect.com – Tune Guard, Tune Drive Care, Tune EZ Term and Tune TrIP. Specially targeted at Malaysian consumers, the niche products are customised to meet people’s most basic requirements.
Tune Guard is a customised plan catering to victims of snatch theft and robberies, while Tune Drive Care provides car passenger coverage. Tune EZ Term provides affordable and simple life insurance protection for a fixed five-year term, and Tune TrIP is standalone travel insurance that provides “before, during and after” benefits across all countries.
A key player in the field, Tune Protect initially gained rapid popularity as the exclusive insurer of low-cost airline leader AirAsia. It has since expanded its footprint to collaborate with other airlines and travel partners across the globe, gaining a reputation among the region’s fastest-growing insurers.
It is the same brand of consumer trust that allowed Tune Protect to carve a client-focused niche in the insurance industry. Core to the group’s operations are its general insurance business through subsidiary Tune Insurance Malaysia.
Since its incorporation in 2011, Tune Protect has grown to serve more than 25 million policyholders worldwide, with more than 12 million policies issued in Malaysia alone. Today, Tune Protect is present in more than 50 countries and territories, with general insurance entities in Malaysia and Thailand. It is also represented with a joint venture in the Middle East.
“Insurance has long been thought of as a complex, costly and intangible product; that is why many people are still reluctant to spend on it,” Cho says. “The key is finding innovations to make the product not only tangible to the consumer, but also relevant, accessible and indispensable.”
Among Tune Protect’s innovative campaigns is the 10 baht (HK$2.16) insurance plan launched in Thailand last year through popular top-up machines called Boonterm kiosks. With coverage of 10,000 baht, the plan features simple and affordable insurance packages targeted at low- to middle-income customers aged between 20 and 60 – a market consisting of nearly 1.8 million individuals.
More recently, Tune Protect launched Thai Rice Insurance, offering farmers protection from losses suffered due to floods, drought, storms, pests and diseases. It also established a collaboration with Advanced Info Service, Thailand’s leading mobile phone network operator, providing travel personal accident coverage to customers who sign up for the network’s international roaming services.
“Rather than driving profits, these campaigns focus on building brand awareness among the young generation – and the results are highly promising,” Cho says. “More consumers are discovering affordable policies that match their lifestyles. The next stage will be to cover similar markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East, which remain untapped by such innovative campaigns.”
Last year, Tune Protect claimed the top award as Forbes Asia’s “Best of the Best” among 200 outstanding listed companies in the Asia-Pacific with annual revenues under
US$1 billion. Today, it is on its way to becoming Asean’s leading digital insurance franchise.
“We are about making insurance simple, easy, convenient, relevant and affordable – giving customers the kind of peace of mind they are looking for wherever in the world they are headed,” Cho says. “We want to break geographical boundaries and empower consumers to set the trends for the insurance industry.”
Open to diversifying into other complementary sectors, Tune Protect aims to grow with potential partners in Asean, and ultimately have a ubiquitous footprint globally.
Source: South China Morning Post, 9 December 2015
