Avis - Looking beyond conversions

What Avis wanted

Avis is one of the largest car-rental providers in the world. They wanted to ensure that they fulfilled and converted as many reservations made via paid search as possible, and that volumes of customers generated were controlled in line with fleet shortages in any destination.

In short, they wanted to increase profitability during peak season by aligning paid search activity with fleet availability.

 

What unique delivered

We created a bespoke solution using DARWIN, our own technology and data platform, that allowed us to feed the optimisation strategy and bid information directly through the search engine API.

The strategy was two-fold. One, we actively advertised a destination through paid search if there was a minimum level of fleet available. Using real time data, we could change our optimisation strategy on the fly to increase efficiency.

Two, we dynamically analysed key contributors of value, like asset rotation, seasonal behaviours, and likelihood of upselling. We integrated this with bookings promotions on different stations at different times of the year, according to forecasted fleet availability and - most importantly - potential contribution to profit.

In the end we achieved both goals of fleet optimisation and maximising profit.

The results - revenues up YOY by over 25%, and a larger revenue increase of over 30% across the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy.

 

Awards it won

Winner - Data Strategy Awards 2010 - Best use of data in travel and leisure

Winner - Travel Marketing Awards 2011 - Best use of pay per click

Finalist - Revolution Awards 2011 - Best use of search (winners will be announced 14 April)