Aflac Named to List of Most Competitive Companies
December 03 2007 - 11:15AM
PR Newswire (US)
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 http://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
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aflac Incorporated CONTACT:
Media, Laura Kane, +1-706-596-3493, or , or Analyst and Investment
Contact, Kenneth S. Janke, Jr., +1-800-235-2667 - Option 3, or FAX,
+1-706-324-6330, or , both of Aflac Incorporated Web site:
http://www.aflac.com/ http://www.wratings.com/
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