An Analysis of the Channel Selection Factors for Customers in the Life Insurance Market

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the channel selection factors for customers in the life insurance market and suggest implications for marketing strategies with regard to direct/non direct marketing. Our study also contributes to research on the relationship between channel strategies and size of insurers in the domestic life insurance industry. For the analysis of the channel selection factors for customers in the life insurance market, we analyze the data of policyholders’ characteristics such as gender, age, job, insured amount, insurance product, and areas as of 2010 by using binary logistic regression. The several significant conclusions of this study are summarized as follows. From the analysis of whole life insurance industry, a significant preference for direct channel is shown in the groups such as male, an older generation, a risky job, and non metropolitan area. From the analysis of insurers’ size, whole life insurance industry, a statistically significant preference is shown in the variables such as gender, size of company, policyholders’ job, insured amount, insurance product, and areas like the analysis based on whole life insurance industry.