AA plans to target 6m members with magazine launch

LONDON - The Automobile Association is set to launch the UK's second-biggest circulation magazine, after BSkyB's Sky, for its 6m members as part of a £10m campaign in its centenary year.

The new approach will use what the AA is describing as a "mini-magazine" format, which aims to combine the responsiveness of a direct marketing piece with the editorial and production qualities of a full-size magazine.

Dubbed RewAArd, the magazine will be produced by integrated customer publishing agency Specialist, which won the business following a five-way pitch.

More than 4m copies of the magazine will be mailed directly to member households three times a year, with the first issue due in October.

The new magazine comes after extensive research among the AA's 6m personal members, which revealed that many are missing out because of low awareness of membership benefits, such as discounts and exclusive offers on motoring, days out, travel and personal finance.

Sam Day, retention manager for the AA, said: "AA membership costs from as little as £40 each year, and members can recover this amount many times over if they use the benefits. RewAArd will help members keep in mind how they can make the most of their membership, by keeping them informed on a regular basis.

"It will also make readers feel like they are a member of a 'club' again, encouraging them to stay with tthe AA."

RewAArd is part of a £10m retention campaign being run by Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners, which was appointed without a pitch to handle the AA's £20m advertising and direct marketing account earlier this year.

In May, the agency launched its first work for the AA, which saw the "Just AAsk" strapline replaced with "You've got AA friend".

Niki Webb, managing director of Specialist, says: "Specialist's writers, engaging editorial, contemporary design and a new 'mini-magazine' format will deliver information in bite-size chunks, which makes it really easy to convey a multitude of rewards to members."

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