Enterprise Does More than Rent Cars — and Now its Ads Say That
By E.J. Schultz. Published on August 02, two thousand sixteen .
Enterprise doesn’t want to just pick you up. It wants to sell you a car, too.
Despite that fact that the rental car giant has been selling vehicles since 1962, that side of its business has been mostly absent from its TV advertising. That will switch this week when the marketer launches a fresh ad campaign aimed at highlighting its various businesses, including car sales, car sharing, truck rentals and luxury vehicle rentals.
Like other companies across the auto industry, Enterprise is seeking to position itself as a “mobility” provider with a broad range of services aimed at helping people get around.
Enterprise “spans the entire arena of mobility. We have it all under one brand and it’s the one brand that is already in the hearts and minds of our customer base,” said Lee Broughton, VP-brand marketing for Enterprise North America. But “we’ve just never tied the entire thing together in one way and marketed it under a masterbrand called ‘Enterprise’ before. And we indeed feel like there is a thick chance here.”
The campaign, which is by Cannonball of St. Louis, starlets actor Joel McHale. A TV spot (above) will begin airing on Friday during NBC’s coverage of the Olympics opening ceremony. The ad shows Mr. McHale driving on a highway. Each Enterprise service is visually depicted by displaying the actor driving different vehicles, with each one popping out of the back of the previous one.
Enterprise is of course best known for traditional car rentals and its signature “We’ll Pick You Up” service. The brand very first tested advertising its range of services within the same TV ad in two thousand thirteen with a spot that proclaimed “whether you want to rent, share or buy, we’ve got you covered.”
Executives considered the ad a test and wished to make sure the marketing was not confusing consumers to the detriment of its core rental business, Mr. Broughton said. The response was “was overwhelmingly positive,” he said. So with the the fresh campaign, Enterprise is poised to make a sustained investment in plugging all of its services.
Like most auto rental companies, Enterprise sells some of its vehicle fleet to both dealers and directly to consumers. Enterprise possesses and manages about one hundred thirty used car lots nationally. Hertz, by comparison, operates toughly seventy five used car dealerships, according to its website.
Enterprise, which is part of privately held Enterprise Holdings, does not make its vehicle sales figures public. Mr. Broughton said Enterprise finished its best auto sales year ever for its two thousand sixteen fiscal year ending July 31. For fiscal year two thousand fifteen the company reported “double-digit sales volume growth by featuring more than two hundred fifty makes and models of certified high-quality, late-model used cars, trucks, vans and SUVs.” Enterprise touts a “low-pressure, haggle-free buying practice” as part of its pitch.
The fresh campaign comes as the broader used vehicle market is expected to grow more competitive. One factor is that the supply of vehicles is growing, led by more vehicles coming off lease. This contrasts with market trends that occurred in the wake of the Excellent Recession when car leasing activity slowed because credit was taut, said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader.
But now “there’s a surge of used cars coming on the market,” she said. “So there is a lot of competition for the customer. And I suspect that is why [Enterprise] is getting up an advertising program because there is so much more competition for customers, both fresh and used, right now.”
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There is also more competition for car-sharing, which refers to short-term, hourly rentals that typically occur without human intervention via reservations using mobile apps. Zipcar, which helped pioneer car-sharing, was acquired by Enterprise competitor Avis Budget Group in 2013. Since then, the field has become more crowded as automakers increase investments in their own car-sharing services. For example, General Motors is pouring money behind a fresh “private mobility” brand called Maven that includes a car-sharing program that recently expanded to Boston, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
Enterprise’s program, which is called CarShare, is available in thirty four states and Washington, D.C., including at more than one hundred college campuses. Key markets include Fresh York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and San Francisco.
The fresh campaign will lean strongly on content marketing aimed at reaching potential consumers through their passions, such as music, travel and food. Enterprise recently sponsored a spring tour for the solo debut of Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum. The tour was called “The Driver Tour Picked Up By Enterprise.” As part of the sponsorship Enterprise produced a series of movies called the “Driver Diaries of Charles Kelley.”
Enterprise Does More than Rent Cars and Now its Ads Say That, CMO Strategy
Enterprise Does More than Rent Cars — and Now its Ads Say That
By E.J. Schultz. Published on August 02, two thousand sixteen .
Enterprise doesn’t want to just pick you up. It wants to sell you a car, too.
Despite that fact that the rental car giant has been selling vehicles since 1962, that side of its business has been mostly absent from its TV advertising. That will switch this week when the marketer launches a fresh ad campaign aimed at highlighting its various businesses, including car sales, car sharing, truck rentals and luxury vehicle rentals.
Like other companies across the auto industry, Enterprise is seeking to position itself as a “mobility” provider with a broad range of services aimed at helping people get around.
Enterprise “spans the entire arena of mobility. We have it all under one brand and it’s the one brand that is already in the hearts and minds of our customer base,” said Lee Broughton, VP-brand marketing for Enterprise North America. But “we’ve just never tied the entire thing together in one way and marketed it under a masterbrand called ‘Enterprise’ before. And we truly feel like there is a fat chance here.”
The campaign, which is by Cannonball of St. Louis, starlets actor Joel McHale. A TV spot (above) will begin airing on Friday during NBC’s coverage of the Olympics opening ceremony. The ad shows Mr. McHale driving on a highway. Each Enterprise service is visually depicted by displaying the actor driving different vehicles, with each one popping out of the back of the previous one.
Enterprise is of course best known for traditional car rentals and its signature “We’ll Pick You Up” service. The brand very first tested advertising its range of services within the same TV ad in two thousand thirteen with a spot that proclaimed “whether you want to rent, share or buy, we’ve got you covered.”
Executives considered the ad a test and dreamed to make sure the marketing was not confusing consumers to the detriment of its core rental business, Mr. Broughton said. The response was “was overwhelmingly positive,” he said. So with the the fresh campaign, Enterprise is poised to make a sustained investment in plugging all of its services.
Like most auto rental companies, Enterprise sells some of its vehicle fleet to both dealers and directly to consumers. Enterprise wields and manages about one hundred thirty used car lots nationally. Hertz, by comparison, operates harshly seventy five used car dealerships, according to its website.
Enterprise, which is part of privately held Enterprise Holdings, does not make its vehicle sales figures public. Mr. Broughton said Enterprise ended its best auto sales year ever for its two thousand sixteen fiscal year ending July 31. For fiscal year two thousand fifteen the company reported “double-digit sales volume growth by featuring more than two hundred fifty makes and models of certified high-quality, late-model used cars, trucks, vans and SUVs.” Enterprise touts a “low-pressure, haggle-free buying practice” as part of its pitch.
The fresh campaign comes as the broader used vehicle market is expected to grow more competitive. One factor is that the supply of vehicles is growing, led by more vehicles coming off lease. This contrasts with market trends that occurred in the wake of the Good Recession when car leasing activity slowed because credit was taut, said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader.
But now “there’s a surge of used cars coming on the market,” she said. “So there is a lot of competition for the customer. And I suspect that is why [Enterprise] is getting up an advertising program because there is so much more competition for customers, both fresh and used, right now.”
Related Stories
Meet the Google Alum Shaping the Future of GM’s Car-Sharing Brand
There is also more competition for car-sharing, which refers to short-term, hourly rentals that typically occur without human intervention via reservations using mobile apps. Zipcar, which helped pioneer car-sharing, was acquired by Enterprise competitor Avis Budget Group in 2013. Since then, the field has become more crowded as automakers increase investments in their own car-sharing services. For example, General Motors is pouring money behind a fresh “private mobility” brand called Maven that includes a car-sharing program that recently expanded to Boston, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
Enterprise’s program, which is called CarShare, is available in thirty four states and Washington, D.C., including at more than one hundred college campuses. Key markets include Fresh York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and San Francisco.
The fresh campaign will lean powerfully on content marketing aimed at reaching potential consumers through their passions, such as music, travel and food. Enterprise recently sponsored a spring tour for the solo debut of Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum. The tour was called “The Driver Tour Picked Up By Enterprise.” As part of the sponsorship Enterprise produced a series of movies called the “Driver Diaries of Charles Kelley.”