An Acquisition Drives Growth

In 2007, Enterprise completed the largest acquisition ever in the car rental business by buying National and Alamo. As Hertz had Thrifty and Avis had Budget, Enterprise now had brands to sharply position across end use. It seemed quite logical that National be the “business” brand, Alamo the “vacation” brand, and Enterprise the “everyday” brand.  Research was requested to measure the North American drivers of purchase (both consumer and business) and the clarity of offer across all major brands.

Sklar Wilton conducted a comprehensive North American market study. The drivers of purchase for both consumer and business were identified. The perception of all major brands was also captured. While the research confirmed many ingoing hypotheses, a massive but risky opportunity emerged. The opportunity was the power of the market leading Enterprise brand. Customer ratings were passionate and there was every indication they would pay more for the Enterprise experience. The current pricing had Enterprise at entry level with Alamo priced higher. The research recommendation was to implement a “price swap” with confidence in the equity of Enterprise and the value orientation of the Alamo customer.

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Sklar Wilton & Associates applies strategic advisory services and marketing research and analytics to solve tough business challenges. Research techniques for any one project are selected on their ability to solve the challenge at hand and may include, among others, biometrics, communities, ethnography, focus groups, gamification, interviews, sensory research,  social media research, surveys, and/or text analytics.

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Sklar Wilton conducted a comprehensive North American market study. The drivers of purchase for both consumer and business were identified. The perception of all major brands was also captured. While the research confirmed many ingoing hypotheses, a massive but risky opportunity emerged. The opportunity was the power of the market leading Enterprise brand. Customer ratings were passionate and there was every indication they would pay more for the Enterprise experience. The current pricing had Enterprise at entry level with Alamo priced higher. The research recommendation was to implement a “price swap” with confidence in the equity of Enterprise and the value orientation of the Alamo customer.