The Zipcar 'Flex' launch broke new ground for the brand and for the wider mobility offering from the parent owner, Avis Budget Group.

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Although Zipcar originates from Boston and the US is their largest market, London was the test-bed city for investment in a new innovative part of the service.  Zipcar has been around for a number of years and its core offering involved a car in a dedicated space, rented by the hour or day. The car returns back to where it started at the end of the rental (as part of the launch we branded this service 'Round-trip').

The new service, which we branded 'Flex', involved a new fleet of cars in a dedicated 'Zipzone' area of London. Cars were available on-demand via the app and priced by the minute. Users found, opened, and locked the car via the app and could leave the car anywhere in the 'Zipzone' at the end of their rental.

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The launch required a whole series of marketing challenges. Educating existing Zipcar members and prospects on the new service, changing our membership proposition (adopting a free membership plan instead of just monthly subscription) and driving customer usage of the service.

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Along with the proposition redesign, I led all the brand and marketing activity, from vehicle branding and customer touch-points through to launch advertising and comms. The Zipcar service was launched with new branding and a focus on educating Londoners on how Flex works. Subsequent waves in the plan communicated the relevant use cases and told locals when the 'Zipzone' had expanded to their area.

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Zipcar Flex has been a real success commercially, delivering massive growth in Zipcar membership and usage in 12 months and forcing the key competitor to abandon the market.  It has enhanced the greener mobility options and sharing economy in Londoners.

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Subsequent development and communications have involved the roll-out of electric vehicles to the Flex fleet and adding Heathrow airport and additional boroughs to the service.