February 2019

ANNUAL TOYS FOR TOTS CAMPAIGN

AAA Club Alliance again served as an official Toys for Tots drop-off location to collect toys to benefit children in need.

With special emphasis on helping children and families, AAA Club Alliance strives to assist those in need throughout the communities that we serve. Last year, as part of our Corporate Citizenship program, over 60 ACA offices participated in the toy drive, and our generous Members and Associates donated thousands of toys.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? CATCHING UP WITH JUDY PRINCIPE

This quarter we caught up with Judy Principe in New Jersey.

Judy retired from AAA in June 30, 2011 after 21 years of service. She found it hard to believe it’s been seven years already, as did I. She left such a positive impression on the many Associates she worked with—her legacy lives on.

Judy worked on the Organizational Development team and was an OD specialist/manager. She was well-known to many throughout the Organization as the Myers-Briggs guru.

Reaching 21 years of service is a big accomplishment. When responding to why she stayed so long she responded with “After paying the mortgage” (you may recall what a great sense of humor Judy has), “I did really enjoy all the people in the Organization and found the niche of Myers-Briggs and training which I loved.” Judy reflected on how she truly misses the comradery and connectivity she felt with everyone; she misses being connected to like-minded people.

We asked Judy to share a favorite story from her time at ACA. She had a great laugh describing the time traveling throughout our territory with “her partner in crime” Marge. They often got lost (before GPS) and had adventures with cars braking down. One time the internal door light continued to come regardless of how many times they turned it off.

Judy’s life continues to be full and rich. She recently went through a program to become Certified Spiritual Director and began doing Myers-Briggs in a spiritual environment. This examines how personality traits may be drawn and connected to spirituality. She’s also on the board of the Associates of the Sisters of St. Joseph and participates in the program Pathways to Prayer. Judy also mentioned her “God-dog” which keeps her busy. Judy has also been writing articles that she hopes to get published.

Lastly, Judy provided a bit of advice for our current Associates: Be honest, work hard, and don’t let anything take away your peace.

Good advice for all of us.

CALLING ALL FORMER SAFETY PATROLLERS!

The AAA School Safety Patrol Program will soon be celebrating a milestone.

Since 1920 the program has molded students into strong safety leaders by training them to recognize traffic and other safety hazards in and around their schools. As we approach its 100th birthday, we invite you to share your fondest memory of the Safety Patrol program.

ACA is beginning to plan celebratory events and we may use your story and photos!

Click here to tell us your story.

How are you doing on those New Year’s Resolutions?

It’s still January. Did you make any resolutions? If you didn’t make a resolution, you’re not alone! Typically, only 32% of Americans make resolutions. Are this year’s resolutions the same as last year? How are you doing so far?

The start of a new year is the perfect time to self-reflect and make some changes. After all it is the beginning of a new year and we all have a fresh slate. In fact, there is still time to do so.

Here are some of the most popular resolutions:

• Eat better
• Exercise more
• Spend less money
• Read more books
• Learn a new skill
• Get a new job (perhaps at AAA)
• Make new friends

If you’re still committed to your resolution, we commend you. Here are some helpful hints to reach your goals:

• Don’t let small set-backs get you down. Keep at it.
• Enlist support from your friends and family.
• You can’t eat the elephant in one bite. Take small steps to get to your goal.
• Plan and research to determine what steps are needed to reach your goal.
• Make achieving the goal fun. This isn’t a punishment, you’re bettering yourself.

Happy 2019—you can do it!

THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media has had a profound impact on how we live our daily lives. It’s changed the way we connect and communicate with each other. The world is increasingly closer than it’s ever been, which has altered businesses and their marketing strategies as well.

A 2017 Pew Research Center study states that approximately 70% of Americans use social media to connect with each other, read news, and share information. The growth of the smart phone has revolutionized the way businesses can market to their consumers.

This creates a unique opportunity for businesses to present products to consumers. Social media marketing is imperative in this competitive market. 48% of consumers say they considers online reviews before engaging a new service professional.

As an organization, we took strides to improve our presence on social media. In order to present the value proposition of a AAA membership and display our excellent services we must utilize social media as a tool that allows us to reach people of all generations.

The key to how we as an Organization remain effective is by transitioning over 115 years of integrity into digital commerce. This is especially important to younger consumers. Millennials and post-millennials are buying homes and cars, and building insurance and financial portfolios, for the first time—and ACA is primed to be of service to those needs.

While some may still be tempted to look at social media as a trend, it shows no signs of fading anytime soon. We as an organization are poised to be impactful in the change going forward.

To see what AAA Club Alliance is doing to brand ourselves in the age of social media, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Let’s keep in touch!