Reputation Institute Says Aflac Among Top 50 Reputable Companies Around the World

COLUMBUS, Ga., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac today announced that it was named the most reputable company in the global insurance industry for the second year in a row, by Reputation Institute. Aflac edged out 39 insurance companies in Reputation Institute's 2009 Global Reputation Pulse study of the most reputable companies in the world. The company also ranked first in the industry in the area of governance, the measure to which the public perceives a company as ethical and transparent. Last week Reputation Institute announced that Aflac is the most ethical company in the U.S. insurance market.

"In today's economic climate it is important that companies behave with a strong reputation of honesty, integrity and reliability," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "We are proud and pleased that the Reputation Institute's independent public survey results declare Aflac the most reputable insurance company, not only in the United States, but in the world."

Aflac stands out in the global insurance industry with a strong Reputation Pulse score of 70.15 out of 100. The Reputation Pulse score average for insurance companies is 58.11 in 2009.

"We're finding that transparency is increasingly important in business these days," said Anthony Johndrow, managing partner, Reputation Institute. "We applaud companies like Aflac that understand the need to be open and responsible in their interactions with customers. In tough times, honesty is not just ethical; it is an effective way to maintain strong relationships with the people important to your business."

Aflac is among the top 50 most reputable companies in the U.S. out of the 153 companies measured and ranks in the top third of the 600 companies measured around the world.

Reputation Institute's Global Reputation Pulse is an annual online survey of the general public measuring the corporate reputations of more than 600 of the world's largest companies in 32 countries. For the U.S. survey, Reputation Institute included the nation's 153 largest companies and polled U.S. residents only.

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 recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for three consecutive years and was also named by the Reputation Institute as the Most Reputable Company in the Global Insurance Industry in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 11th consecutive year. Aflac appears on Hispanic Enterprise magazine's list of the 50 Best Companies for Supplier Diversity and on Black Enterprise magazine's list of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity. Aflac was also named by Forbes magazine as America's Best-Managed Company in the insurance category. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit www.aflac.com.

About Reputation Institute

Reputation Institute is the world's leading reputation consulting firm. As a pioneer in the field of brand and reputation management, Reputation Institute helps companies unlock the power of reputation. With a presence in more than 25 countries, Reputation Institute is dedicated to advancing knowledge about reputation and shares best practices and current research through client engagement, memberships, seminars, conferences and publications, such as Corporate Reputation Review. Reputation Institute's Global Reputation Pulse is the largest study of corporate reputations in the world, identifying what drives reputation and covering more than 1,000 companies from 28 countries annually. Reputation Institute provides specific reputation insight from more than 15 different stakeholder groups and 24 industries, allowing clients to create tangible value from intangible stakeholder feelings.

Visit www.ReputationInstitute.com to learn how you can unlock the power of your reputation.

Media Contacts:

Laura Kane
Aflac Incorporated
706.596.3493
lkane@aflac.com

Jon A. Sullivan
Aflac Incorporated
706.763.4813
jsullivan@aflac.com

Analyst and Investment Contact:
Kenneth S. Janke Jr.
Aflac Incorporated
1.800.235.2667, Option 3; Fax: 706.324.6330
kjanke@aflac.com

SOURCE: Aflac

Web Site:
http://www.aflac.com