This is the story of the successful launch of one the most innovative ideas ever conceived in the UK insurance market.
It’s also a story about marketing teams moving from simply communicating a product, to helping makeproducts that inherently communicate.
In 2013, Aviva became the first insurance brand to launch a smartphone app which records drivingbehaviour. Measuring cornering, braking and accelerating through GPS, ‘Aviva Drive’ can consequentlyoffer safer drivers up to 20% off their next car insurance policy.
In order to achieve a successful launch, Aviva and its agencies did not only consider promotion; they also worked on the design and features of the app itself, ensuring that the app and its advertising framed this new technology in the best possible way: simple, populist, playful yet trustworthy.
The results?
-Apple’s ‘App of the Week’.
-Plaudits ranging from The Boston Consulting Group to The Sun.
-TV advertising shown by econometrics to be considerably more effective than the insurance category average.
-Facebook activity that drove the lowest ‘cost-per-acquisition’ ever achieved by the brand.
What did this ultimately mean for Aviva?
•Over 200,000 app downloads six months since launch - more than 3 times the annual target.•Average score on the App Store: 4.5 out of 5.
•33% point increase in perception of Aviva as an ‘innovative brand’ – a tracking measure linked to consideration.
•Aviva Drive will provided a positive return on investment within 18-24 months – a phenomenal speed of payback.
