RAC marketers laid off as Aviva slashes department

Aviva is to halve the size of the RAC’s marketing department, with the loss of up to 30 jobs, following its £1.1bn takeover of the motoring services company earlier this year.

The RAC’s 60 marketers were told yesterday (Tuesday) that their roles are being scrapped but that they could reapply for one of about 30 positions in a new marketing department being set up in Norwich.

Top marketer David Lewis has already been a high-profile casualty of the takeover, when the commercial director role he held was scrapped (MW July 7).

A spokeswoman for Aviva-owned Norwich Union confirms that the RAC’s Feltham marketing office will close completely and that a handful of roles in the organisation’s Bristol office will also be affected.

The new RAC marketing department will be separate from the Norwich Union marketing team. It will be based in Norwich, although a small number of marketers will work in Bristol.

The spokeswoman says there have been no redundancies yet as it is not clear how many of the current team will apply for roles in Norwich. She adds that the details will be available by the end of September.

Aviva bosses have introduced a series of changes at the RAC since the takeover went through in March, parachuting in Aviva managers to key roles.

Aviva is also restructuring Norwich Union’s marketing department, following the decision to merge it with the insurance arm of the RAC (MW last week).