The AA: Sparkplugs to Singalongs

The AA, British motoring association, turned around a decade of decline by re-introducing emotional brand building as part of a complete marketing overhaul.

The challenge

In 2014, the AA was crowned Britain's Most Trusted brand by Brand Asset Valuator. Core business metrics showed impressive financials in the face of rising membership costs and slashed marketing expenditure. This was the result of a direct mail media approach and a steadfast focus on retention of existing members. The AA had eschewed the expensive and imprecise world of brand communications, focusing instead on cross-selling to its huge member base - an efficient approach with impressive profits.

But this short-termist approach worried the team, who began to dig deeper…and in doing so, revealed an entirely different story:...

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