Since 1998, Kessler has signed affinity program partnerships with numerous key professional associations in Australia, delivering a marketable base of over 500,000 professional individuals to whom exclusive affinity products are promoted primarily via direct and online marketing channels.
Our professional association programs include involvement with the following groups:
- Australian Dental Association
- Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Australian Medical Association
- Australian Physiotherapy Association
- CPA Australia
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
- Law Institute of Victoria
- Law Society of New South Wales
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
While professional associations have been the foundation of our Australian operations to date, we have also entered the co-brand product arena.
Partners, Product Offering and Approach
A number of Australian financial service providers have outsourced the sales and servicing of their affinity business to Kessler in order to leverage our extensive international experience in this field.
These companies include:
- American Express Australia - credit cards and charge cards
- AMP Banking - home loans and deposit products
- OnePath Australia - life insurance and income protection
Partners generally offer a discounted and/or differentiated product or service exclusively for members of the affinity associations. Together, Kessler and the Partners develop and position an affinity offer that is of relevance and value to members of the professional associations, which in turn, enhances the value of their professional association membership.
Affinity marketing returns significantly better response rates than proprietary marketing campaigns, whether we are marketing credit cards, home loans or life insurance. Also, retention rates for our professional association Partnerships have proved to be superior.
Partners also share a percentage of revenue with the affinity associations from product sales.
Markets
Following the success of our partnership with American Express in Australia, we have expanded our relationship to deliver American Express Affinity Card programs in Hong Kong and New Zealand.
Roles and Responsibilities
Our team's association and history with affinity programs in Australia has been in existence for more than 10 years.
A relationship with KFSA allows our Affinity Partners the opportunity to outsource their Affinity Sales and Servicing requirements to an experienced and respected global organisation involved in the affinity and co-brand arenas.
KFSA has very sound and deep relationships with many of the most desirable professional associations in Australia and we fully leverage that relationship to the benefit of all parties - the Affinity Groups, the Affinity Group members and staff and our Affinity Partners (American Express, AMP Bank & OnePath Australia).
KFSA structures and negotiates the affinity programs between our Providers and the Affinity Groups. Programs are differentiated wherever possible according to the sector and their member / customer demographics.
KFSA also has an experienced Marketing & Servicing Team that oversees all marketing of our affinity programs on behalf of our Providers. Our Marketing Relationship Managers liaise and deal directly on a regular basis with key contacts at Affinity Groups to ensure maximum member and staff participation and sound results for all parties involved in our programs.
Our Sales and Marketing & Servicing staff meets regularly with our Affinity Groups to discuss sales and marketing strategy and ensure alignment of objectives.
Key benefits for the Affinity Organisation and their members and staff are as follows:
- Compelling and competitive affinity product offers that are not available to the general public
- Strengthened ties and improved retention with existing members of the Affinity Group
- No direct mailing cost to the Affinity Group providing standard direct templates developed by our Affinity Partners are used
- No payment or investment from the Affinity Group to launch the affinity programs
- Increased visibility and loyalty for the membership organisation that provides an additional and tangible benefit as part of the cost of membership
- An additional revenue stream for our Affinity Groups
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