Zipcar and Hertz on Demand. What’s the difference? There isn’t really, except for better PR on Zipcar’s part. Zipcar, the current leader in the car-sharing business, will feel some pressure from Hertz’s revamped program: Hertz on Demand, allegedly offering better services including no annual fees, electric vehicles, and one-way travel. And Hertz is not keeping quiet their plans to gun down Zipcar, with its July press release mapping out a direct comparison of Hertz on Demand and Zipcar prices. On paper, Hertz should be able to take down Zipcar. But, in reality, Zipcar might have the upper hand with a better PR campaign.

Zipcar targets a young crowd (mainly college students and urbanites under 35), which is apparent in all aspects of the brand. Everything from their website to the names of their cars suggests an appeal to the young, trendy, and fun. The website, emails, and ads all feature young adults laughing, having a grand ol’ time by their Zipcar, either in the city or in a park with the city in the distance, using phrases like “Love the city. Flirt with the country.” On every car, there is a visible bright green logo of Zipcar, with a printed “zipcar.com” and a fun name like “Escape Eddie” on the rear. Zipcar has also partnered with numerous colleges, offering discounts, to directly target college students.

Hertz on Demand on the other hand, has great perks but the brand doesn’t have the same fun, trendy feel as Zipcar does. Their website is just another car-rental website, nothing too fun or exciting about it. Hertz’s main strategy is to highlight their better prices and eco-friendly electric cars. The electric, energy-saving cars definitely appeal to the modern generation and there’s no doubt that many will be attracted to use the convenient one-way service that Zipcar doesn’t offer. It’ll be interesting to see what else Hertz comes up with to target customers (or even steal some from Zipcar).

At the end of the day, Hertz on Demand is the only seemingly viable competitor with Zipcar. So it’s on: Hertz vs Zipcar. Who do you think will win?

 

-Chenny Zhang, Boston College ’12, Communications Major