After 50 years of ‘We try harder’ Avis has announced that it will replace its slogan with a new one – ‘It’s your space’. When it was introduced ‘We try harder’ was applauded as a brilliant counterpoint to Hertz’s number 1 position in the car rental industry. It was a strong brand promise that played off the belief that the number 2 brand would work harder on behalf of customers.
Since then, the landscape in the industry has changed, becoming significantly more crowded and much more challenging. Having used many of the car rental brands myself, I can confirm that Enterprise has consistently shown that it tries harder in the area of customer service. Perhaps, that’s why Avis is walking away from its much-lauded slogan.
While I understand that ‘It’s your space’ is customer focused, it’s not a promise and I’m unconvinced that it differentiates the brand. I’m sure a significant number of research hours have been put into the development of the new strapline (at least I hope it has). But I just don’t get it. As a frequent business traveller, I don’t find the new line compelling.
I’ll withhold judgment until I’ve seen the ATL campaign, but for now at least, all I can say is, “yikes – brave, foolhardy or both”. I’d be quite interested to know if there’s been a change in marketing leadership at Avis recently. I truly hope it’s not another example of a new marketing director coming in and trying to make their mark. Its got a slight whiff of that already.
What’s your opinion?