Budget Chases Renters with Online Deals

Brandweek, Oct 2, 2000 by Mike Beirne

Budget Rent A Car will highlight its network of 800 off-airport locations with online promotions to coincide with the relaunch of its Web site, Budget.com.

The off-airport business, while not the next frontier, is grabbing car rental companies' attention as consumers increasingly are leaving their own vehicle at home for weekend getaways and business trips--particularly if they have a leased car with a low mileage cap.

Print, Internet and pr activities will shine a light on Budget's revamped site, which next month sports a new look, fewer pages and an easier booking engine.

The effort will beckon consumers with a sweepstakes, distributing yet-to-be-determined prizes, to log on. Since last year, Budget has been driving consumers to its site by dangling a $19.95 per day offer for Ford Ranger rentals available only online. During the relaunch, consumers also will see deals for other specialty vehicles available online and via pickup from a neighborhood or downtown lot.

Among other extensions, Budgets current "Deals Across America" promo will offer deeper discounts, while bonus points for joining Perfect Drive--its loyalty club about 600,000 members strong--also are on tap. In all, Budget aims to generate more bookings from its Web site, which are cheaper to process versus handling reservations from its call center and travel agents. Currently 8% of the company's business is booked through Budget.com and another 8% is generated by Internet partners like Priceline and Travelocity.

Rivals, however, are clearly on the same track. Hertz broke TV spots last summer hammering home its off-airport deals, while Avis is establishing a hub-and-spoke network in suburbs to grab leisure business on weekends (Brandweek, July 17). Enterprise, whose growth has mostly come from 3,600 off-airport lots, has touted its vehicles as replacements for patrons whose ride is in the shop. Up next: airport sites to follow customers on vacation too.