BUDGET CANADA TO BEEF UP MARKETING
By Adnews Staff
Budget Rent A Car Canada's franchisees are taking control of the company's sales and marketing efforts to boost their image and have short-listed three agencies for the account. A decision will be made within three weeks. Until recently, the Canadian marketing efforts had been headed by a Toronto office of the U.S.-based Budget Rent A Car Corp. They will now be controlled by the nine largest Canadian franchisees who have formed Budget Auto Canada, a wholly-owned Canadian corporation. Budget Auto vice-president and general manger Michael Alaouze told Adnews the company wants to market itself more aggressively. Firstcom Marketing Inc. of Toronto is the incumbent on the account. Alaouze said the shift in marketing strategy was necessary because Budget is the number one car rental firm in Canada, while it is number four in the U.S. and probably number three globally. A category leader, Alaouze said, needs to market itself more aggressively than its competitors. The new marketing strategy will be more Canada-focused than it was in the past, Alaouze said. Alaouze emphasized that the move doesn't represent a rift between the Canadian operation and its U.S. head office. He said the two continue to enjoy a good relationship. Budget Rent A Car Corp. will continue to operate a Toronto-based reservation system and maintain administrative, licensee and global sales support staff at its Toronto regional office.