AA spends £22m on rebranding to emphasise width of product range
In an effort to be seen as more than just an emergency breakdown service, the AA is to spend &£22m repositioning itself as a multi-product company.
As part of the relaunch, a &£12m advertising campaign using the strapline “Just ask” breaks this week.
Created by M&C Saatchi, the new ads explain to consumers that the company provides 160 different products and services, including insurance, car servicing, maps and travel books.
The strapline will be carried on all the AA’s communication, including its website, membership cards and direct mail.
The positioning will encourage the cross-selling of AA products, and the company’s call centres have been given technology to enable them to sell and answer customer queries on all AA products.
The brand positioning has been overseen by AA marketing director Clare Salmon, who joined parent company Centrica in 2000 as marketing director for home and road services (MW October 5, 2000). She became marketing director for the AA in January as part of a restructure (MW October 11, 2001).
Salmon oversaw the appointment of M&C Saatchi as the AA’s advertising agency. The move ended a nine-year relationship with HHCL & Partners, the agency responsible for creating the company’s former strapline “To our members we’re the fourth emergency service.”
Media for the AA is bought by Zenith Media. EHS Brann and Rapier handle the below-the-line business.
