Founded in May 1905, The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland’s centenary is this year. To celebrate the RACQ gave a free car seat to every baby born in Queensland on its birthday, May 31.
Many of the younger parents may not have been RACQ members as the organisation acknowledges that its membership skew in recent years has been toward older members.
In response, the club looked at introducing a youth program for 17 to 20 year olds.
In 2001 RACQ launched it youth program “free2go”. The program offers the first year of membership free for Queensland year 12 students and 17 year-olds, and half price membership for the next 2 years.
In planning the launch of free2go RACQ realised their traditional marketing and communication methods were not relevant to the youth market. To counteract this RACQ turned to an integrated marketing campaign with a greater focus on e-marketing.
The program embodies the idea of freedom and uses the iconic VW Kombi Van to help demonstrate this to students at school visits and events – the major acquisition tools of the program.
But like any membership campaign the program also focuses heavily on retention.
The free2go program is supported by an interactive CD-Rom welcome pack, e-newsletter and a dedicated website www.free2go.com.au, with a range of targeted member benefits such as an interactive driving test, car buying info, competitions, etc.
The free2go program also has a large presence at traditional high school break-up week activities throughout Queensland, and each year the campaign is launched via a viral email.
The result is 100,000 new members for the RACQ since the program commenced in 2001, all of them in the targeted 17 to 20 year age band. Even for an organisation like the RACQ with more than a million members, 100,000 new members is a huge number.
“The internet provides us with an opportunity to speak to these members in their environment – online,” said Executive Manager – Marketing, Stuart Sanders. “The Internet is about retention, relevance and maintaining effective touch points.”
After 3 years of membership free2go members are transitioned across to standard membership packages. It is a critical time. “We concentrate on the life-time value of each member, so retention is a key performance indicator for us,” says Stuart.
The Internet is a key relationship management tool for all aspects of this membership organisation. The RACQ has invested in a very good customer marketing database that is maintained by the marketing department. Highly sophisticated segmentation and analysis takes place resulting is carefully targeted communications.
All members are encouraged to subscribe to Club e-news, and from time to time electronic direct mail shots (eDMs) are sent out when and where relevant.
“The RACQ views the Internet and eDMs as an exciting opportunity,” says Stuart. “But we also realise that it requires organisation and resources behind the scenes to ensure effective communications and the maintenance of the RACQ’s outstanding reputation in the community.”
-- The Written Edge
A branding program should be designed to differentiate your cow from all the other cattle on the range. Even if all the cattle on the range look pretty much alike.
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