Digital life insurer set to disrupt Hong Kong insurance

Blue, the Hong Kong digital insurance joint venture owned by Aviva plc. (“Aviva”), Hillhouse Capital (“Hillhouse”) and Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”), opens. Blue (www.blue.com.hk) plans to shake up Hong Kong’s insurance market with zero commission, easy-to-use, digital insurance.

Hong Kong customers will be able to buy term life and critical illness products directly online. This is a significant change in a market which until now has been dominated by intermediaries. As the first digital life insurance company in Hong Kong, Blue provides customers with an easy-to-use, zero commission, online insurance platform. Blue is suited for customers who want to take charge of their own insurance protection and have flexibility to adjust their insurance plans according to changing needs. 

Blue combines Aviva’s insurance and digital expertise with Hillhouse’s investment management capabilities and Tencent’s technology, distribution and customer base.

The Hong Kong insurance market is one of Asia’s largest and fastest growing, with annual gross insurance premium growth of 20% in 2016. It also presents a major opportunity to grow direct and digital sales, which currently account for less than 1% of all life insurance sales in Hong Kong.^*

“We are redefining insurance in Hong Kong. Simple products. No paperwork. No commissions. Hongkongers are incredibly mobile and tech-savvy, yet the insurance market has been among the most traditional in Asia. Until now. Our new digital life insurance brand in Hong Kong, Blue, will offer insurance that customers can buy directly from their mobile phones, without the intermediaries – and the commissions.” Chris Wei, Executive Chairman of Aviva Asia and Aviva Digital

Charles Hung, Chief Executive Officer of Blue, said:

“Our purpose at Blue is to make people’s lives easy by providing simple, flexible insurance solutions that come with zero commission. By removing the complexity from insurance, we are able to unlock exceptional value for customers. We encourage customers to take charge of their protection as we believe that they know their needs best.”

Blue offers a digital experience throughout the entire insurance journey, with hassle-free engagement for customers at every step. It cuts out complicated processes and lengthy paperwork, and charges no commission as customers interact with Blue directly. It brings customers a new way of getting protection based on three fundamental principles:

Simple products and procedures that are easy to understand and follow

Blue offers an easy to use digital process that requires no paperwork. Customers will only have to answer three simple health assessment questions online to get the cover they need.

The product offerings from Blue are simple and easy to understand, focusing on customers’ core needs and risks that they care about the most. With simple terms, customers can easily understand what will or will not be covered in each policy.

Flexibility that accommodates changes in people’s lives

Blue provides an easy to use online journey for customers to purchase insurance anytime, anywhere in Hong Kong. Given life’s unexpected twists and turns, insurance needs can shift quickly. Blue offers customers exceptional flexibility and convenience to adjust their protection plans to suit their changing needs. This includes adjusting the protection amount, protection period, and payment period – with no penalties.

Extraordinary value with zero commission to maximise the benefit to customers

Blue maximises value for customers by charging no commission. Combined with an efficient digital platform, Blue is able to offer affordable plans.

Blue is the trade name of Aviva Life Insurance Company Limited, a joint venture between Aviva, Hillhouse and Tencent. The agreement to set up a digital insurer in Hong Kong was announced in 2017 and the joint venture transaction received approval from the Insurance Authority of Hong Kong in 2018.

_{*According to the Hong Kong Insurance Association}

Notes to editors:

• Aviva provides life insurance, general insurance, health insurance and asset management to 33 million customers.
• In the UK we are the leading insurer serving one in every four households and have strong businesses in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Canada. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE100 index.  
• Aviva’s asset management business, Aviva Investors, provides asset management services to both Aviva and external clients, and currently manages over £350 billion in assets. Total group assets under management at the Aviva group are £490 billion.
• Aviva helps people save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life; we paid out £34.6 billion in benefits and claims in 2017.
• By serving our customers well, we are building a business which is strong and sustainable, which our people are proud to work for, and which makes a positive contribution to society.
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Tencent

• Tencent is a leading Internet value-added services provider in China. It operates two social platforms, namely QQ and WeChat, with monthly active user bases of over 800 million and over one billion respectively. Tencent’s social platforms link users to a rich digital content catalogue including games, video, music and books. 

Hillhouse

• Hillhouse is a firm of investors and executives with extensive experience in building businesses that last.