AXA Self Investor Launches Awareness Campaign

Online, March 19, 2013 (Newswire.com) - AXA is extending its awareness strategy for its DIY-investment service, AXA Self Investor, in response to evidence that advisers are increasingly looking for D2C solutions to service dormant clients. The new campaign will cover consumer print and digital media, and starts this week.
The campaign will also promote the benefits of DIY-investing to investors, which will assist intermediaries in marketing the service to their clients. Consumers can access the service direct, with demand for DIY-investing having grown strongly, up by 29% in the 12 months to 30 September 2012 according to Platforum*. The primary route to market remains advisers and other intermediaries. Recent research indicates that D2C will be a major new channel for many IFAs.**

Since launch in late 2012, AXA Self Investor has developed a healthy pipeline of third-party partnerships. There is however still an opportunity for other firms who also recognise the benefits of a D2C investment solution to support their client segmentation and supplement their income stream.

AXA has to date required intermediaries to have a minimum number of 25,000 clients to make the partnership viable. To help, AXA is considering ways to extend its access to smaller intermediary firms, which includes a pilot allowing firms with a smaller number of clients to take advantage of the brand and service, in return for a small fee. The fee will contribute to the initial set-up costs.

With investors comfortable investing sums of around £10,000 per annum, compared to the current average pension pot for consumers who have taken professional financial advice of more than £70,000***, AXA Self Investor provides investors with the ability to manage simple investments themselves online. This includes a funds-based stocks and shares ISA and trading account, at a highly competitive price. They can choose from a range of around 170 carefully selected 'open market' funds, including the Favourites range from AXA Wealth's specialist investment house, Architas.

Paul Riddell, head of strategic communications, said: "AXA Self Investor is first and foremost an investment service that complements an intermediary's existing proposition, to provide a solution for those clients who may not prove profitable in a post-RDR world. The service is aimed at investors wanting to make more modest investments. With the growing demand from consumers, we felt now was the right time to promote the service more widely."