Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada has hired Burson-Marsteller to
handle its international corporate PR.
Fleishman-Hillard and Shandwick, which already works for Sun Life on a
project basis in the UK, both pitched for the work.
The company, which provides financial services and is based in Toronto,
already retains local B-M company National PR in Canada.
Sun Life has taken a battering in the Canadian media over one of its
life insurance products. Up to 400,000 policy holders are negotiating a
pounds 30 million settlement with the company in a long legal action
over premiums which began over a year ago.
National PR was hired to handle corporate issues for Sun Life at the
time the legal action was launched. B-M will now help the company to
rethink its worldwide image, according to communications director
Cynthia Martin.
Sun Life’s main markets are Canada, where it earns 44 per cent of its
net income, the US, and the UK, which accounts for 33 per cent of
income.
The company earns seven per cent of income in Asia Pacific countries,
including Hong Kong, the Philippines and Indonesia.
B-M pitched with a team of consultants from the US, Melbourne, the UK
and Canada, where National PR senior partner David Wiener will lead on
the account.
