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Affinity marketing - Axa and the RSPCA
By Emily Ford, Third Sector, 6 July 2010
RSPCA staff being trained about the new pet insurance policy the charity developed with Axa
For the company that ran the best affinity marketing scheme with a charity
FINALISTS
- Bank of America and Breakthrough Breast Cancer
- Foster Denovo and Acevo
Partnerships between businesses and charities can be valuable for both parties, but matching commercial objectives with a charity's mission is not always easy. So the partnership between the insurance company Axa and the RSPCA stood out because of the common goals and the close working relationship that the two have forged. The partnership has raised more than £1.3m for the RSPCA - and brought a huge increase in sales for the insurer.
The partnership hinged on pet insurance, which the RSPCA regarded as a way for people to become more responsible pet owners - one of its stated objectives. But Axa had previously struggled to sell such insurance, which offers protection against unexpected veterinary bills. Despite attempts to promote the policy in RSPCA information packs sent out to "rehomers", who give 50,000 cats and dogs a new home each year, the insurance did not sell: few people asked for quotes and even fewer bought the policy.
Axa already had links with the RSPCA, having sent volunteers to work on local projects at donkey sanctuaries as part of its corporate social responsibility strategy. So in 2006 the two teamed up to offer the RSPCA Pet Insurance policy, combining the animal charity's name with the policy underwritten by the insurer.
For every policy sold, the RSPCA takes 20 per cent commission. Since the partnership began, the charity has sold 30,000 policies on behalf of the insurer, collecting £500,000 in the past year alone.
While Axa benefits from the RSPCA's brand, expertise and geographical reach, the partnership also helps the charity to reach its goal of 96 per cent brand awareness.
The pair faced challenges initially, such as educating pet owners about the true cost of vets' bills and getting buy-in from the RSPCA staff who would be selling the policy. The insurer ran training sessions for Axa and RSPCA staff, instructing them on how to promote the policy to pet owners. "We both worked on this by meeting staff face to face, explaining the relationship and the benefits of the product," according to Axa's entry for the award. Axa also ran a marketing campaign called Love Me, Protect Me, which generated a 420 per cent increase in the number of quotes given.
Future ideas for promoting the insurance include an iPhone application with pet care advice and an online marketing drive through social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Axa has also signed a five-year contract with the charity.
Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children and a judge who helped choose the winning entry, said: "It was a perfect assimilation of two organisations that had common areas of interest around pets and pet insurance."
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