International Business Awards Recognizes Manulife Financial’s CoverMe.com As Best Insurance Website

WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 30, 2011 – Manulife Financial’s CoverMe.com website has been awarded the 2011 International Business Award for best insurance website. CoverMe.com is a direct-to-consumer website that markets individual supplemental health insurance, travel insurance, life insurance and critical illness insurance.

Winners of the International Business Awards, more widely known as the Stevie Awards, were selected from over 3,000 entries.

CoverMe.com, which was designed and is operated by Manulife Financial’s Affinity Markets unit, provides consumers with information about plan options and benefit descriptions, as well as tools to help them choose the most appropriate coverage for their individual needs. This award-winning website also features a streamlined online quote and application process, knowledge centre and a referral program.

“We are proud Coverme.com has received this international award as the best insurance website,” noted Gavin Robinson, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Manulife Financial’s Affinity Markets unit. “A great deal of work went into making CoverMe.com accessible, appealing and easy for our customers to find what they were looking for, and to learn more about their insurance options.”

The Stevie Awards were created to honour the achievements and raise the profile of exemplary work done by organizations from around the world. The International Business Awards are overseen by a board of distinguished judges and advisors who are prominent and accomplished professionals from around the world, with sponsors that include several of the top global business publishers and marketers.

The new look and enhanced features of CoverMe.com are the result of a recent redesign, which was undertaken to improve the customer experience online. The redesigned website has translated into positive business outcomes with a 20% increase in online requests for information and a 40% increase in online applications for insurance coverage.

This business success, together with the innovative approach and aesthetic appeal of the website, were key elements in CoverMe.com’s Stevie Award recognition.

“In an increasingly digital marketplace, customers expect to find the information they need online, and the new CoverMe.com is an example of our commitment to meet those expectations,” said Bob Doyle, Director of Strategic Marketing at Affinity Markets. “The site now offers a user-friendly experience that makes it easy for potential customers to choose the appropriate type and level of insurance coverage.”

Stevie Award recipients will be honoured at a gala in Abu Dhabi on October 11.

About Affinity Markets

Affinity Markets is a division of Manulife Financial that offers a broad range of life, disability, creditor, health and travel insurance directly to the consumer and through professional and alumni associations, retiree organizations, financial institutions, retailers, travel groups, agents and other specialty distribution channels. With over 200 partner sponsors, insuring over 1 million Canadians, Manulife Financial’s Affinity Markets is the leader in the affinity marketplace for health, life and travel insurance.

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 21 countries and territories worldwide. For more than 120 years, clients have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We provide asset management services to institutional customers worldwide as well as reinsurance solutions, specializing in property and casualty retrocession. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$481billion (US$498 billion) as at June 30, 2011. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.