VIDEO: How AIA Is Innovating From the Outside In

AIA’s decision to sponsor an accelerator program for startups in Asia is as much about being seen to be innovative as it is about staying relevant in the age of disruption, says Alyssa Tam, director, AIA Edge, AIA Group.

In a keynote case study at ClickZ Live Hong Kong, Tam shared the health insurer’s experience in sponsoring eight startups in the health and wearable technology sectors as part of the AIA Accelerator program earlier this year.

The insurance industry is one of several sectors at particular risk of losing relevancy to disruptive technologies, says Tam.

“What we really wanted to do is to learn and understand what is happening outside in order to connect startups and the entrepreneur community here in Hong Kong and potentially across Asia,” said Tam at ClickZ Live Hong Kong.

“Because at the end of the day, we want to stay relevant. We are a very successful company, and we want to continue to be that for the years to come,” she said.

In this video, Tam explains how the AIA Accelerator program has helped the insurer to step out of its “comfort zone” to keep ahead of the curve and better understand the competition it faces in the years ahead. She also discusses how social media and paid social helped market the accelerator course well beyond Asia within a tight marketing budget.