Abstract:

A new product or service can open, for some corporations, the way of re-conquering a tired clientele, or attracting a new one. The Catalonian Automobile Club (Reial Automdbil Club de Catalunya), looked at itself, until 1985 and after 80 years of history, as a "club of automobile drivers", with a strong accent on sports sponsoring, and offering its members a variety of services with a rather unsatisfactory result. The institution was perceiving a slow but progressive fatigue in interest for membership, while automobile assistance corporations were growing in the marketplace. In early 1986 the RACC decided to act as a marketing- oriented company. A marketing research was undertaken among members and non members, and a new positioning objective was lined out: the Club would become a high-level, full-service company, targeted to automobile owners.