Hertz Goes to Cable TV to Support Expanded Off-Airport 'Local Edition'

Brandweek,  July 17, 2000  by Mike Beirne

Tags: cable television, Hertz Corp.

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Hertz is going after the increasing throngs of consumers renting cars for local trips with a new TV spot breaking on national cable this week touting an expanded Hertz Local Edition: a network of rental locations not connected to airports.

The initiative comes as more consumers are renting locally thanks in part to the proliferation of lease-owned cars with low mileage caps, said vp-marketing Frank Camacho. Rather than drive personal cars on long trips and blow the cap, consumers can now rent at corporate rates and still earn points and miles.

The ad, via Moss/Dragoti, N.Y., beckons consumers to come and get their Hertz next door. Creative initially shows an obvious airport rental scene, as a voiceover asks, "Did you know you can get Hertz without the planes?" The visual cuts to a suburban neighborhood with Hertz signs, cars and other rental items. The "Hertz Exactly" tagline continues and notes consumers can get the same great rates, frequent-renter points and other Hertz benefits in their own neighborhood.

Hertz, Park City, N.J., entered suburban markets in Boston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Oklahoma during 1996 and has since expanded to 600 such locations in 29 states.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which over the past couple of years has been adding airport sites to serve infrequent flyers, built itself into the No. 1 car rental business in terms of sales with off-airport locations, about 3,600 in the U.S., primarily serving customers needing replacement vehicles while their own cars are being repaired.

Hertz Local Edition, like Enterprise, offers to pick up consumers from home and deliver them to more than 500 locations. Avis also is moving off airports to establish a hub-and-spoke network in surrounding suburbs so cars rented mid-week by commercial customers can be used during weekends by leisure travelers.

Hertz also introduced #1 Club Gold into a three-tier loyalty program that gives more perks and free rentals to frequent renters. The change is aimed at retaining current customers, but the company is using print to build awareness about the benefits of joining the first two tiers, Club Gold and Club Gold Five Star.

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