Insurance Marketing
Running Ahead

• Lori Chordas
• September 2018
• 

Global health services company Cigna is a presenting sponsor of this year's 43rd Marine Corps Marathon. The 26.2-mile event will held on Oct. 28 in Washington, D.C.

Cigna entered into the sponsorship to honor U.S. military members, veterans and their families, and to support health and wellness in the community.

Along with the marathon, Cigna also will be the presenting sponsor of the MCM Health &Fitness Expo and cross-country Go. Know. Take Control. Health Improvement Tour.

The expo will be held Oct. 26-27 in National Harbor, Maryland and at the Finish Festival in Rosslyn, Virginia on Oct. 28.

“These events showcase the inspiring accomplishments of people from different backgrounds and experiences ranging from those who serve or have served in the military to first-time runners,” said Brian Evanko, Cigna's co-executive sponsor of the Marine Corps Marathon and president of government business for Cigna.

Team Cigna will be participating in the Marine Corps Marathon and the MCM10K. The team will include Cigna employees, executives, clients and partners, including Achilles International, a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities participate in mainstream athletic events.

Three More Years

Liberty Insurance, a home and auto insurer in Ireland, has extended its commitment to female sport in the country by investing 2.5 million euros in initiatives and sponsorships. Part of the investment includes a new three-year sponsorship of the All-Ireland Camogie Championships and a marketing investment into women in sport of 750,000 euros in the second half of this year.

Camogie, played by females, and hurling, its male counterpart, are part of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Ireland's largest sporting organization with more than 600,000 members.

Liberty Insurance has also launched a new “Camogie Made Me Ready for the Real World' campaign showcasing how camogie skills can be applied off the field in other aspects of players' lives, said Deirdre Ashe, director of customer and markets at Liberty Insurance.

The company has a long history of supporting female Irish sporting role models through its brand ambassador program, including Wexford camogie star Mags D'Arcy, Olympian Natalya Coyle and former Ireland rugby captain Fiona Coghlan. Liberty Insurance began sponsoring the All-Ireland Camogie Championships in 2013. This year's finals will be held on Sept. 9 in Croke Park, Dublin.

Hope and Joy

Aflac's feathered brand icon is once again helping children who are coping with cancer. Starting this month, Aflac will begin delivering My Special Aflac Ducks to pediatric oncology patients at select hospitals.

My Special Aflac Duck is an interactive, robotic companion that uses joyful play to help distract children with cancer. It is part of Aflac's ongoing Aflac Childhood Cancer Campaign.

The duck, which has a microphone and light sensor, is designed to mirror children's health care routines and even receive chemotherapy. It comes with a chemotherapy port, Soundscape card and seven RFID-enabled emoji cards. The cards help children communicate as the duck acts out feelings of the selected emotion when a card is tapped to its chest.

The robotic duck was created to bring “the incredible asset we have in the Aflac Duck into our commitment to childhood cancer treatment and research,” said Aflac spokesman Jon Sullivan.

Aflac has been supporting families facing childhood cancer for 25 years and has raised and contributed more than $125 million toward the cause. The Aflac Duck has appeared in more than 70 commercials and has helped catapult Aflac into a household name.