W Ratings Research Identifies Aflac as a Top-Performing Company

COLUMBUS, Ga., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent competitive research firm W Ratings has published its annual ranking of most competitive companies among U.S. consumers. The Top 40 Most Competitive Companies report, which names Aflac -- along with industry leaders such as Google, Budweiser, Coca Cola, and Pepsi -- identifies the best-performing companies through a patented method that blends financial and market data designed to measure a company's ability to achieve higher economic profit than competitors.

"Aflac ranks among the best financial services firms because they continue to find ways to meet consumer expectations while generating superior economic profit. By combining their clear and simple marketing message with a competent network of independent agents, they are protecting their profits with competitive moats in both Brand Perception and Economies of Skill. Our consumer data shows Aflac is a fresh alternative to the traditionally bureaucratic insurance agency," said Gary A. Williams, CEO & Founder of W Ratings.

"It is an honor to be recognized as one of America's most competitive companies," said Dan Amos, Chairman and CEO of Aflac. "This award is particularly noteworthy because it is based on both our financial strength and consumer confidence in our brand."

Competitiveness rankings are determined using an algorithmic formula W Ratings developed in 1999, which has been used to rate more than 500 companies and products familiar to domestic consumers. The competitiveness score is calculated by percentile, ranking companies by their average economic profit over the past five years and by their total moat score, and weighting those rankings equally into one score. "Economic profit" is defined as a company's return on invested capital in excess of the company's weighted average cost of capital. Additionally, W Ratings measures a company's ability to achieve a higher economic profit than its rivals and sustain that competitive advantage through "moats," a term popularized by investment guru Warren Buffet when describing the qualitative measurement of a company's ability to keep competitors from penetrating their market for an extended period of time. Total moat score is derived from a consumer survey database and is defined as the sum of nine areas of competitive advantage with each area, or moat, measuring between negative one and five. The more moats and higher total moat score indicate a higher likelihood of sustaining a competitive advantage with consumers. To be considered, companies must have either a dominant market share or wide recognition among the general U.S. population and have publicly available financial data. Sectors surveyed comprise retail and consumer goods, media and communications, financial services, travel and leisure, and restaurant and beverage.

For more information on the Top 40 Most Competitive Companies in 2007, go to www.wratings.com

About Aflac:

For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for seven consecutive years and in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for nine consecutive years. Aflac has also been recognized three times by both Fortune magazine's listing of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities and Working Mother magazine's listing of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To learn more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

About W Ratings:

W Ratings, an independent competitive research firm based in metro Washington D.C., identifies companies "winning" with both consumers and shareholders by utilizing patented research methods. Gary A. Williams, CEO & Founder, and his team have been conducting primary research on an original set of leading indicators that measure competitive advantage since 1999. Through Gary's patented research system (US Patent 6,658,391), the team measures how well companies are delivering on consumer expectations and then correlates their performance with economic profits. Gary and his team continually analyze 500+ market-leading companies with 25+ million data points collected using his common framework. The research provides strategic, technological and operational insights about how today's best companies tap into unmet customer demand and build competitive advantage.

    (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO )

     Media Contacts:            Analyst and Investment Contact:
     Laura Kane                 Kenneth S. Janke, Jr.
     Aflac Incorporated         Aflac Incorporated
     706.596.3493               1.800.235.2667 - Option 3, FAX: 706.324.6330
     lkane@aflac.com            kjanke@aflac.com



SOURCE  Aflac Incorporated
    -0-                             12/03/2007
    /CONTACT:  Media, Laura Kane, +1-706-596-3493, or lkane@aflac.com, or
Analyst and Investment Contact, Kenneth S. Janke, Jr., +1-800-235-2667 -
Option 3, or FAX, +1-706-324-6330, or kjanke@aflac.com, both of Aflac
Incorporated /
    /Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO
              AP Archive:  http://photoarchive.ap.org
              PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.aflac.com
                http://www.wratings.com /
    (AFL)

CO:  Aflac Incorporated; W Ratings
ST:  Georgia
IN:  INS ADV TVN
SU:  SVY




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