Irish Life has engaged research group Red C to help it determine a brand for its new health insurance subsidiary, which is set to be formed from the amalgamation of GloHealth and Aviva Ireland's health insurance business.

Speaking to The Irish Times on Monday, Irish Life chief executive Bill Kyle said focus groups with a small number customers had indicated that its own brand should be incorporated into the identity for the merged health business.

“Early indications were that Irish Life being promoted in the name tested very well [with the focus groups] but that needs to be verified with a bigger group,” Mr Kyle said.The company hopes to have settled on a brand name by the end of this month, he said.

Merger

Irish Life has a team of about 50 people working on details of the proposed merger, which was announced last month and is subject to regulatory approvals this year.

At the time of the announcement, Mr Kyle said the brand choices for the health insurance business included using Irish Life in the name, sticking with the GloHealth brand, or coming up with an entirely new identity.

Irish Life plans to acquire Aviva Health and buy out the the 51 per cent of GloHealth that it doesn’t already own.

This will give the company, which is owned by Canadian financial giant Great-West Lifeco, more than 400,000 policyholders and make it the number-three player in the market behind VHI and Laya Healthcare.