The AA rethinks mag to embrace range of services

Colin Grimshaw,, Marketing, Thursday, 12 June 2003, 7:00am,

LONDON - The Automobile Association is reviewing its customer title, the second-biggest circulation mag in the UK, out of John Brown Citrus Publishing.

The AA is said to be reviewing the function of the title and has asked publishers to explore how it might address its wider business objectives, now that it has moved from an automobile club to a provider of financial and other services.

With a circulation of 5m, AA Magazine comes second only to the Sky Customer Magazine, also held by John Brown, in the magazine ABCs. John Brown won the business just two years ago, from Redwood. The AA has shortlisted three agencies for the account: the incumbent, WPP-owned Forward and one other unnamed agency.

Last year, AA marketing director Clare Salmon moved its media planning and buying account out of Zenith into Manning Gottlieb OMD.

A year earlier, it moved its creative account out of HHCL & Partners into M&C Saatchi and replaced "The fourth emergency service" strapline with "Just AAsk".

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This article was first published on Marketing