When asked how much Hertz was spending to
promote its new Fun Collection of vehicles this summer, Frank
Camacho, vice president of marketing, would only say We dont get
very specific, but it is millions.
How many millions?
More than one, he said with a laugh.
Whatever the actual
figure, one of the places that money is being spent is for some
high-octane star power for its advertising campaign. TV ads feature
Lightning McQueen and Sally, two of the animated stars of the
Disney/Pixar Studio movie Cars. McQueen and Sally are seen
traveling down the road, encountering animated vehicles from Hertzs
Fun Collection along the way.
The Fun Collection,
available at select airport locations in Arizona, California,
Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington, includes such vehicles as the Mazda Miata, Toyota
Solara, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chrysler Sebring, Chevy HHR, Nissan
350Z, Ford Escape XLT Sport, Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Murano and
Hummer H3.
The ads track so
close to the look and feel of Cars that they could easily be
mistaken for scenes from the movie.
Cars, created by
the team behind such hits as Toy Story, The Incredibles and Finding
Nemo, opened nationwide on June 9.
Hertz is hoping the
novelty of its Fun Collection will be a hit with travelers, as
these kinds of vehicles are not easy to find in the rental
market.
And thanks to
recent upgrades in its reservations capabilities and the fact that
Hertz controls 95% of its fleet, travelers can reserve specific Fun
Collection models in advance. Hertz is one of the first car rental
companies to offer such a service.
In fact, members of
Hertzs #1 Club have been permitted to reserve vehicles by specific
make and model since last year.
But more than that,
Camacho said that the Fun Collection was developed in response to
consumer changes in the marketplace.
Camacho said Hertzs
research shows leisure travelers are seeking cars that are, in
essence, an extension of their vacations. And they are willing to
splurge.
A lot of people are
going on a vacation, spending a lot of money when they get there,
Camacho said. They are staying in a nice resort or a destination
location, not a roadside inn. That kind of customer is interested
in a certain level of luxury that really wasnt easy to find in the
car rental market until a few years ago when we launched the
Prestige Collection.
Launched in 2001,
the Prestige Collection includes such top-of-the-line vehicles as
the Audi A6 and A8L Quattro; Cadillac STS; Hummer H2; Infiniti
QX56, FX35 and Q45; and Land Rover LR3.
The popularity of
the Prestige Collection has signaled that consumers are willing to
pay a premium for the rental car they want, just as they would for
a room at a preferred resort, Camacho said.
And that is already
proving true with what maybe the ultimate fun car rental: the
Shelby GT-H, a high-performance Ford Mustang modified by racing
legend Carroll Shelby.
The 2006 GT-H is
not for sale. The only place a driver can get his or her hands on
this nostalgic nod to muscle cars of the past is by renting one
from Hertz, through the Fun Collection.
The updated version
is based on the Shelby GT350H, a limited-edition Ford Mustang that
was one of the most popular muscle cars of the 1960s.
It was in that era
that Hertz first teamed with Ford to offer exclusive rentals of the
car. Less than 1,000 were produced, and one still sits in the lobby
of Hertzs headquarters in Park Ridge, N.J.
The new Shelby GT-H
commemorates the 40th anniversary of that promotion.
If you were to go
into our reservation system, you could reserve one for next weekend
out of LAX, Camacho said.
Customers are
already lined up for them, he said.
It is attracting an
interesting group of car buffs, Camacho said.
But whereas the
Shelby Mustang is hot with car enthusiasts, the Fun Collection
overall will likely appeal to a diverse market.
Cars like the
Shelby GT-H may attract more men, while the Toyota Solara may
attract more women, said Paula Rivera, Hertz manager, public
affairs. Some of the cars appeal to families, such as the Hummer,
which gives bragging rights to their teenage children, while
convertibles, such as the PT Cruiser or Miata or Mustang, are
appealing to couples looking for something fun for their weekend
getaways.
As the summer
travel season revs up, Camacho expects that travel agents will be
similarly enamored with the Shelby Mustang or other vehicles in
Hertzs Fun and Prestige collections.
We think agents do
a great job of selling luxury products, he said. We really see the
Fun Collection and the Prestige Collection aimed at leisure
travelers.
Most customers have
rented these cars for at least a week, Camacho said, adding that at
about $150 a day, thats a pretty decent commission.
To
contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].