We're targeting a generation that only knows how to buy music by the song so paying for a car by the hour is a natural for them. Zipcar's CEO, Scott Griffith, explained, "We've had Zipcars on campuses for more than eight years and as a result we've learned a lot from the next generation of drivers. The partnership comes on the heels of Zipcar losing a deal with Duke University to car-sharing upstart WeCar, which is Enterprise's attempt to get a horse in the race that Zipcar has been leading for over a decade. ![]() This massive marketing ploy in the guise of an expansion of fleet vehicles will give Ford early access to the next generation of drivers while also helping keep Zipcar out front. Vehicles and subsidies combined, the total out-of-pocket cost for Ford still amounts to a tiny fraction of the auto giant's $2.5 billion annual advertising budget while providing a big bang for those ad bucks. Additional discounts off the hourly rate will be offered on select campuses for a total of $2 million in savings passed through to members courtesy of Ford. On top of the new cars, the Ford alliance allows Zipcar to also offer a $10 discount off the annual $35 membership fee to the first 100,000 students who sign up. All told, Ford will add about 1,000 vehicles doubling the number of cars offered to college students through Zipcar. The two-year partnership makes Ford the largest source of vehicles for Zipcar's college program with some 650 Fords to be added to its fleet in the 2011-12 academic year, most of which will be new Ford Focus and Ford Escapes. ![]() ![]() including Harvard, Stanford, Michigan State, and others. Joining the fray that already consists of several European car makers creating their own car-sharing services, Ford has teamed up with Zipcar to provide shared wheels on more than 250 college campuses across the U.S.
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