Avis Budget Finland chooses Crowst, unlocking the consumer insights pulse on car rental
Avis Budget Group, the global car rental brand, has 600 000 vehicles in its fleet in 180 countries around the globe. In Finland, the business operations are managed by the business license holder Helkama Rent Oy, a company that has an Avis & Budget operations network of close to 100 service points in the country. This article focuses on the collaboration of Helkama Rent Oy that represents Avis and Budget in Finland and Crowst, in the spirit of trends and modern consumer insight.
Starting point: Understanding the big picture
In the past 20 years, people’s needs on commuting and simply moving “from A to B” have changed. Urbanization, work-related needs, remote working, leisure-related needs, global pandemic and its impact in domestic vs. international travel are just a few factors that have shaped the market. Certain macrotrends, such as environmental sustainability, concerns on carbon footprint, and increasing fuel prices have challenged people to consider the advantages of owning an own vehicle versus finding other options that serve the varying needs.
“It all starts from understanding people’s needs and desires. What do they feel they need to do, and what are the emotional desires they’d wish to do, based on their preferences”, opens Ari Ilonen, the CEO at Helkama Rent Oy that represents Avis and Budget in Finland. “Understanding people enables understanding the trends, expectations, customer needs and overall car rental market development”, Ilonen continues.
Rather than talking about car rental specifically, Ilonen views the market from the broader perspective. “People have the need to move, commute and travel. These needs will continue to exist, but they are taking different forms and shapes. It’s important to have an open mind when assessing the development in the market as it gives the strongest keys to adjust and serve the market the best”, Ilonen stresses.
Car rental, new trends and changing behaviour
In June 2022, Helkama Rent Oy kicked off the collaboration with Crowst, with the aim of mapping out the common trends, preferences, and expectations of Finnish consumers. A behavioural study was executed to map out the consumer needs covering driving at work and leisure, relevant contexts and scenarios, as well as people’s expectations. The results shed light on what is changing, what are the expectations on the vehicle fleet of tomorrow, and how the renting process could be developed further.
“With Crowst, we are able to reach our key customer segments efficiently and with agility”, comments Tuulia Taipale, Marketing Coordinator at Helkama Rent Oy. “Relevant respondent targeting is the pre-requisite in sourcing compelling insights on people’s expectations, pain points, and driving scenarios in general. Crowst delivers all this; from meaningful targeting to swift execution, analysis, and innovative suggestions that give us the means to stay ahead of competition”, Taipale affirms.
“Crowst delivers all this; from meaningful targeting to swift execution, analysis, and innovative suggestions that give us the means to stay ahead of competition.”
Tuulia Taipale, Marketing Coordinator, Helkama Rent Oy (representing Avis Budget Finland)
The next stage in the insight driven collaboration will focus on the competitive landscape and brands. The identification, establishment and nurture of relevant audiences, segments and customer profiles will be essential in deepening the strength and quality of insight that steer meaningful decision-making, impacting the business and performance.
Do trends, behaviour, and better profiling of respondents play a role in your plans and desired scope of insights? Have a look also at our collaboration with Berner, Vaasan and Clas Ohlson.
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