Manulife acquired John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. in April 2004. The changes are part of a move by Manulife Financial to adopt the John Hancock name and logo for most insurance and financial products distributed in the US, and leverages John Hancock's strong brand recognition in the US marketplace. "John Hancock is a trusted brand, which is recognized by 95% of consumers," said Robert A. Cook, executive vice president, John Hancock Life Insurance. "This change will build upon our competitive advantages and strengths, and give financial advisors a well known and highly regarded retail brand for their clients. The new name will help advisors achieve deeper sales penetration and easier sales." To make it easier and more convenient for financial advisors, the company also has introduced a single set of routine underwriting requirements along with Preferred and Super Preferred criteria.