Sixt: How Sixt challenged car hire culture, and changed its fortunes

In the car rental market where consumers mostly stick to the suppliers they have used before, Sixt Rent a Car, a challenger brand, was stuck in a rut. From a low starting point and equipped with a modest 500,000 budget, Sixt needed to disrupt consumers'' habitual choices and do so fast. Based on an insight about how much people enjoyed being seen driving an expensive car they were renting for a bargain price, the ''Drive Smug'' campaign aimed to upset customer inertia. Rather to spread its efforts widely, the brand focused its media spend on dominating the branding opportunities at Canary Wharf Tube station, where many of its target affluent male consumers would be travelling. As a result of the campaign, key brand measures grew, local sales responded, and Sixt rented more luxury cars. The communications activity's estimated net profit return was 0.80 for every 1 invested.