MANILA – Manulife Philippines, the local arm of leading international financial services provider Manulife, received two awards at the Insurance Asia Awards 2025 held on July 8, 2025, in Singapore. The insurer was honored with Mobile App of the Year for the Manulife app and Marketing Initiative of the Year for the Manulife Stories brand campaign. These recognitions underscore Manulife’s commitment to making decisions easier and lives better for its customers through digital innovation and authentic engagement.
Setting New Standards in Digital Experience: Manulife App Wins Mobile App of the Year
The Manulife App, Manulife’s self-service insurance mobile app, empowers customers to manage and access their policies anytime, anywhere. Developed in response to Filipinos’ growing preference for digital financial solutions, the app features biometric login via Touch or Face ID, push notifications for policy updates and promotions, online premium payments via major credit and debit cards, digital access to policy documents and statements, real-time fund valuation for Variable Unit-Linked policies, and seamless contact information updates.
Since launching in 2023, the Manulife App has achieved nearly 70% adoption among customers, with consistently high user ratings of 4.7 stars on both iOS and Android platforms. The app has also contributed to operational efficiency, with straight-through processing rates rising by 32% from 2023 to 2024, helping eliminate manual interventions and delays.
“At Manulife, the customer is at the heart of everything we do,” said Sonali Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, Manulife Philippines. “The Manulife App is an example of our drive to simplify insurance for Filipinos, helping them manage their policies with ease. This year, we are introducing Fund Switch and Universal submission, allowing our customers to submit requests for their transactions digitally. Our continued focus on improving our customers’ digital experiences is core to our transformation journey towards becoming the most digital and customer-centric global leader in our industry.”
Authentic Connections: Manulife Stories Named Marketing Initiative of the Year
The “Manulife Stories” brand campaign was awarded the Marketing Initiative of the Year for its innovative approach to storytelling and customer engagement. Launched in 2024 in the Philippines to introduce Manulife’s global brand strategy, “Where will better take you,” the campaign invited customers to share personal stories of how Manulife supported them through life’s milestones.
The campaign featured inspiring customer stories, including Marielle, who was able to finish her medical school from the benefit received when her mom passed away; Yvonne, who used her husband’s death benefit to send her child to nursing school; KL, a mother who used her policy’s living benefits to be able to afford an IVF procedure; Peach, an HIV+ transgender woman, who was able to secure her future; and Mark, a father of child with special needs, who was able to get health coverage for his son.
By employing a mobile- and video-first strategy and encouraging employees, advisors, and customers to share these stories across social media, the campaign achieved record-number engagement on Manulife’s digital platforms, including more than a 100 million impressions and a 20-point ad recall lift breaking industry and regional benchmarks.
“The Manulife Stories campaign reflects our promise to be Filipino customers’ trusted financial partner across generations,” said Verma. “By sharing real stories, we inspire trust and show how Manulife makes a difference in people’s lives—helping them live better every day.”
The Insurance Asia Awards recognize excellence and innovation across the Asian insurance industry, celebrating companies that demonstrate outstanding achievement in digital transformation and customer engagement.
