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AXA: EffectivenessNewspapers deliver the best return on investment

AXA faced a range of communications challenges in early 2012. AXA is a major global finance company, but in each of their main UK businesses there was fierce competition from more famous brands. Many people were unaware of their product range. The recession had affected trust in finance companies, as well as squeezing personal finances.

AXA needed to create a unified, differentiated and more emotionally engaging brand image as well as promoting the individual products.

Newspapers proved to be the most cost-efficient medium for building AXA’s overall brand values and creating awareness of their three core business strands – health insurance, investment and motor insurance.

National newspapers were also the most effective medium for building trust, awareness and differentiation among AXA’s core target of “Successful Securities”: home-owning families with a household income of £50,000+.

AXA

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Newspapers were the most powerful medium for improving AXA brand measures among their core target - 25% of budget was spent in newspapers, yet they delivered 57% of the

improvements

Newspapers were the most cost-effective medium overall, especially for building the AXA brand among the core target

- TV seven times more costly

- Outdoor Rail twice as costly

Newspapers reinforced trust, boosted differentiation and promoted customer understanding- 10% increase in “financially sound and secure”

- 17% rise in “ tries to be different from other brands”

- 28% increase in “understands its customers”

AXAHeadline results

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AXACreative work

Newspaper creative

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AXACreative work

Outdoor creativeTV creative

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Objective

Build a unified, emotionally resonant brand image for AXA whilst promoting each of the core strands of business: health insurance, investment, and motor insurance

Communications strategy

Show how each of the AXA companies are being responsive to customer wishes

Target audience

“Successful Securities”: reasonably affluent and financially astute, with plans to maintain financial security into the future. Homeowners aged 40-59, with children 10+, household income £50,000+.The broader media audience was homeowners aged 35-65, with household income of £40k+.

AXATest detail

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AXATest detail

Media Plan

Jan 12 Feb 12March

12April 12

May 12June 12

£m

MediaTarget audience:

homeowners aged 35-65, with

household income of £40k+

Newspapers 1.98

TV 4.29

Outdoor Rail 1.69

Research DatesMillward Brown

CrossMedia™

Source: Millward Brown CrossMedia™

842 GRPs

1348 TVRs

1120 GRPs

During/PostPre

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AXATest detail

Sample2,408 homeowners aged 35-65, with a household income of £40,000+.

A sub-sample of 1,057 “Successful Securities” was analysed, as they represented the primary AXA target. These adults were homeowners aged 40-59, with a household income over £50,000 and children over the age of 10.

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“Throughout this campaign, we were able to quantify the impact of newspapers within an integrated advertising approach. Newspapers ticked a number of key boxes: they created awareness and changed perceptions among a valuable and engaged audience, they enhanced the impact of our TV, and they proved highly cost-efficient.”

AXA Brand Manager

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The Findings

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The FindingsAXA campaign improved brand standing

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AXANewspapers had the greatest impact on AXA brand measures among the core target

54%

25%

21%

Share of spend

17%

57%

26%

Share of uplift in AXA key brand measures - Successful Securities core target(awareness, consideration, image)

Newspapers

TV

Outdoor Rail

Newspapers

TV

Outdoor Rail

Source: Millward Brown CrossMedia™

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AXANewspapers were pivotal to multi-media campaign performance

0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250% 300%

% Campaign spend

Imp

ac

t o

n A

XA

ke

y m

ea

su

res

SimulatedActual

Newspapers, TV and Outdoor Rail

Newspapers and TV

TV and Outdoor Rail

TV

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AXANewspapers delivered an affluent, responsive audience

Household income £50k+

Homeowners with mortgage

40-59 years old Have children over 10 years old

33

66

88 90

120

105 104112

Heavy TVHeavy Newspapers

Source: NRS Jul 11 – Jun 12

Index of heavy TV viewers and heavy Newspaper readers

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£2.60

£19.37

£4.78

Cost of 1% uplift in AXA brand measures - Successful Securities core target

(awareness, consideration, image)

£m

AXANewspapers were lowest cost medium for driving AXA brand KPIs

Newspapers Outdoor RailTV

Source: Millward Brown CrossMedia™

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AXANewspapers created high levels of buzz

54%

25%

21%

Share of spend

42%

35%

23%

Share of uplift “buzz” - Successful Securities core target

Newspapers

TV

Outdoor Rail

Newspapers

TV

Outdoor Rail

Source: Millward Brown CrossMedia™

*Buzz = seen, read or heard a lot about recently

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• Newspapers drove 60% of uplifts in AXA brand image among core audience

• Newspapers reinforced trust, boosted differentiation and promoted customer understanding

AXANewspapers boosted brand image

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AXAMultiple executions built a strong story

Source: Millward Brown CrossMedia™