Redefining the AXA brand
The case describes how AXA, a global insurance company headquartered in Paris, France, defined and implemented its new brand in May 2008. This is exactly 3 years after CEO Henri de Castries launched the initiative “Ambition 2012” aimed at doubling revenues and tripling underlying earnings between 2004 and 2012 and turning AXA into “the preferred company” in financial protection. In order to become “preferred” among consumers; AXA needed to differentiate itself from its competitors. But, the brand attributes – including the signature “Be Life Confident” – didn’t seem to be totally up to it. In 2007-2008, Claude Brunet, AXA’s Chief Operating Officer, led a project to investigate and reinforce the brand. He strengthened marketing through the creation of a Group marketing department reporting to him which was responsible for strategic marketing and customer insight, offer and innovation, customer programs and quality of service, distribution, and brand and advertising. The voices of executives, customers and employees were then thoroughly analyzed. This fed the AXA Brand Spirit, a multidisciplinary task force made responsible for proposing action to the management board. The research concluded that the three main core attributes for AXA were “available”, “attentive”, and “reliable”. The AXA Brand Spirit decided AXA ought to “continuously work to prove it is worth trusting”. This meant exiting the “land of promise” and settling into a “land of proof”. This would be the spirit of the new signature “redefining / standards”. The new AXA brand was launched internally on May 27, 2008 with a worldwide online forum in which 55,000 employees participated.
Brand management is more than designing a new logo and creating a new value proposition. The case shows the importance of building emotional momentum within a service organization and using brand management as a catalyst for a deeper cultural change. A teaching note for this case is currently being prepared and will be available by Summer 2010.
AXA Group, Finance and Insurance
2008-2009
Cranfield University
Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]
NUCB Business School
1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]
IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
The case study delves into strategic transformation and leadership transitions at Unilever since 2009. Unilever has been an industry leader of busi...
Many companies overestimate customers’ appetite for sustainable products, flooding the market with offerings that don’t sell. The reality is, socia...
The case explores the efforts of Hamilton Mann, Group VP, Global Digital Marketing & Digital Transformation at Thales, to build a sales enablement ...
The (C) case describes the customer’s after-sales experience. The participants need to identify what went wrong again and how the brand might save ...
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in Harvard Business Review March-April 2024, vol. 102, issue 2, pp. 80-87
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
The (B) case describes the same customer’s follow-up experience in the same exclusive retail outlet. The case invites the participants to further i...
A short (A) describes the experience of a wealthy Chinese customer going to buy an exclusive watch in the retail outlet of a famous Swiss luxury br...