The New Zealand Automobile Association (AA) has been trusted by Kiwis for more than 120 years. Now, the membership organisation has taken an astute step into the digital future by transforming its content management system (CMS).
With a legacy of supporting Kiwis through services like breakdown assistance, vehicle repairs, driver licensing, travel planning, and insurance, the AA recognised that its digital infrastructure needed to evolve to meet the expectations of modern members.
Much of AA’s service for members takes place out on the road, says AA’s Head of Marketing Insights and Analytics, Jeremy Tan.
“Our iconic Roadservice team does around 480,000 callouts every year, helping members continue their journeys, and these requests for assistance mostly come through our contact centre.”
With a strong net promoter score (NPS) and a loyal member base of more than 1.1 million individuals, the organisation saw untapped potential in its digital channels, says Tan. It was clear that a modern, scalable solution was needed to enhance member engagement and streamline operations.
“We’re proud to connect with local communities from the far North to the deep South, through our centres and agents, however increasingly, our members also want to engage online, so our website is an essential tool to help them discover information, including our range of 45 membership benefit discounts and offers, as well as other AA products and services.”
The challenge was a 15-year-old Silverstripe CMS. Content was fragmented across services, usability was poor, and managing forms and updates required significant manual effort. The system’s limitations were particularly evident in its inability to deliver a cohesive digital experience across the organisation’s diverse offerings.
Complexities such as the thousands of pages needing to be migrated, the dozens of templates that had been amassed over the years, and the resourcing and manpower required to undertake the project necessitated a cautious approach.
To address the challenges, AA partnered with Datacom to modernise its digital experience platform.
“For us, it was critically important that we find the right partner to help us on this digital enhancement journey. Datacom demonstrated strong expertise and professionalism throughout our robust RFP process and gave us confidence that we could deliver to our digital maturity aspirations with their support,” says Tan.
Adobe Experience Manager was selected as the CMS solution as it was a tried-and-true market leading platform that would provide the best foundation from the AA to meet its digital maturity ambitions.
“We were also looking into what future enhancements might entail, and the wider Adobe DXP (digital experience platform) ecosystem gives us a lot of flexibility and more options when it comes to solutions beyond just a CMS platform.”
“From signing the master service agreement (MSA) through to the website going live, the transformation took 11 months. While there were certainly some speed bumps along the way, these were dealt with in a quick and decisive manner and we’re thankful for the fact that Datacom were willing to come to the table on some of the ’trickier’ situations the project encountered,” says Tan.
“It helped immensely that everyone involved was incredibly supportive of this initiative which ensured we were able to keep driving forward to reach great outcomes.”
The new solution went live in March 2025, and the result is a user-friendly, component-based CMS designed to support multi-channel content delivery and future growth. The platform was built with flexibility in mind, aligning with the AA’s long-term digital strategy.
One of the standout features of the implementation was the use of AI-assisted content and form migration. This approach significantly reduced manual effort and accelerated the transition process. Approximately 2,500 pages were migrated to the new system, ensuring continuity while laying the groundwork for a more dynamic and responsive digital presence.
The reusable component and template library has empowered AA’s internal teams to independently create and manage content across various services. Whether launching a new page for driver training or updating travel insurance information, teams can now act swiftly without relying heavily on technical support.
Tan says the new CMS has already begun to transform how the AA team interacts with its members. By delivering a more cohesive and intuitive digital experience, the platform has improved member engagement and satisfaction. The streamlined content workflows have also enhanced operational efficiency, freeing up resources to focus on innovation and service delivery.
The platform’s scalability also ensures that the AA can continue to evolve its digital offerings in response to changing member needs. From integrating new services to supporting mobile-first experiences, the CMS provides a solid foundation for continuous improvement.
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