News Release
For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:

"Intuitions" Marketing Program Introduced at Woman's Life Insurance Society Convention

(Minneapolis, Minn.) - At its 29th National Convention Aug. 9-11, 1998, Woman's Life Insurance Society® unveiled its new marketing approach entitled "Intuitions." Intuitions rejects the traditional insurance sales approach based solely on a prospect's age and income. Instead, it recognizes the unique events in women's lives that cause a change in values and serve as a stimulus for them to seek additional financial protection, such as insurance.

Janice Whipple, national president and chairman of the board for Woman's Life, sees Intuitions as a way for the fraternal benefit society to rededicate itself to its roots: serving the needs of women and their families. "Woman's Life recognizes that women have very distinct financial needs, as well as different motivations and desires when it comes to protecting their families. Because of its focus on women, Woman's Life understands those differences like no other insurance company can or ever will," Whipple explained.

In applying this new marketing approach, Woman's Life places the prospect in one of four life stage categories based on the circumstances and life events that shape her values, rather than based on her age or income. The four life stage categories identified by Woman's Life are:

• "Promises" to meet the needs of young women;
• "Expectations" to meet the needs of women with young families;
• "Priorities" to meet the needs of single mothers; and
• "Insights" to meet the needs of mature women.

Life-altering events that tend to influence women's values include the birth of a child; death of a close family member, especially a parent; marriage; or divorce.

Intuitions essentially is values-based selling in which a company appeals to a prospect on her own terms, focusing on her values, and then molding its products and services to meet those values. These products and services get into specific areas beyond just the prospect's financial needs. Because Woman's Life is a fraternal benefit society, it can tailor its fraternal offerings to complement all of a woman's unique needs in various stages of her life - not just financial.

For example, a young couple, ages 18-44, with young children would fit in the "Expectations" category. In their income earning years, their values most likely are shaped by a strong desire for family protection and better opportunities for their children.

Like most insurers, Woman's Life offers products to cover this family's financial needs. Life insurance including universal, whole life and term plans; juvenile insurance; annuities; and IRAs cover a multitude of unforeseen expenses. They provide protection for expenses associated with untimely death; income protection; mortgage protection; education planning for their children; retirement income planning; child care and home care needs should one spouse die unexpectedly; and building equity for specific wants such as travel, owning a business, investing or leaving a legacy.

The real difference, however, is that Woman's Life also offers fraternal benefits and education programs at no additional charge to meet more than the family's financial needs. The Society provides education, cancer, disaster relief, orphan, newborn death, newborn guaranteed insurability and cancer screening benefits. In addition, Woman's Life offers self-help kits on topics for both parents (Smoking Cessation, Breast Cancer Awareness, Weight and Walking) and their children (On Our Own at Home).

These fraternal benefits and family education benefits further protect members from certain unplanned or extraordinary burdens. These noncontractual benefits are available at no additional cost to qualified members.

Intuitions is based on 70 years of psychological research on the topic of values-based marketing. Millions of people were profiled. It has been scientifically validated on several occasions.

Faith Cuda, the new national sales director of Woman's Life, feels that it's time to apply these learnings to meet women's needs. "Woman's Life is responding to the tremendous need women have for sound advice that is relevant to their personal financial situation. Women want products and services tailored to their needs. That's what Woman's Life is all about."

Why focus on women? Women face some basic realities which are very different than those of men:

• Women live an average of five to seven years longer than men; on average, they will spend the last one-third of their lives not married, but single, either through widowhood or divorce;
• Nearly 75 percent of the elderly poor are women;
• Many women are faced with chronic disabilities later in life; 80 percent of the people in nursing homes are women;
• 80 percent of retired women are not eligible for pension benefits;
• 50 percent of working women do not have a current pension program;
• Women still earn less doing comparable jobs in the workplace;
• Many older women are left penniless by divorce or widowhood and can't provide for themselves in retirement;
• Women often enter the workforce later in life than men and have shorter work histories because of family responsibilities;
• Women have a greater need to address their financial futures.

Woman's Life Insurance Society is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society created more than 100 years ago to help women protect themselves and their families from the unexpected and the unplanned. To achieve that mission, Woman's Life provides affordable family life insurance protection and annuity products. Fraternal benefits, like scholarship programs and cancer and disaster benefits further protect families from unplanned or extraordinary financial burdens. And, through local chapters, members participate in volunteer service projects and social events, as well as educational and leadership programs.

The Woman's Life Insurance Society Home Office is located in Port Huron, Michigan. By the end of 1997, the Society counted almost 70,000 amongst its membership and collected almost $18 million in revenues. Its local Chapters throughout the United States and Canada were responsible for more than 60,000 acts of community service, 1,402 fraternal events and more than a quarter of a million volunteer service hours. These activities resulted in $344,408 in funds raised and donated to people in need and other charitable organizations. If valued at today's minimum wage rate, the many volunteer service hours donated by Woman's Life members would be equal to another $1.3 million.

-- 30 --