Innovative Test Drive Program Delivers Cars to Consumer's Homes

Automatic Launches Weekend Test Drive Program with Enterprise Rent-A-Car

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Nov 03, 2010, 02:11 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A ground-breaking new program that delivers cars to consumer's homes for weekend test drives is being launched by a new company AutoMatic, http://automatictestdrive.com/ as an innovative marketing strategy for car manufacturers to generate more test drives of its new vehicles by prospective buyers shopping for new cars.

The AutoMatic program was created by long-time car marketing veterans to provide a way for challenger brands to breakthrough the industry average of 1.4 test drives by purchasers before buying, and introduce new models in a less-pressurized setting. The program also solves test-drive challenges faced by many brands today – who see 40% of new vehicle shoppers leave a dealership without making a purchase -- by offering the weekend test drive delivered by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Rudy Privitelli, a 20-year veteran of Mazda, has joined AutoMatic as Managing Director and will work with a wide variety of car manufacturers in implementing the AutoMatic program. Privitelli held a wide variety of marketing and management roles within Mazda including its multi-channel investment in the digital channel.

"Getting more prospective buyers into the driver's seat of new vehicles is the great challenge of today's automotive brands," explained Patrick Sarkissian, Partner and co-Founder of AutoMatic and President of digital innovation agency SarkissianMason. "Rudy was always driving innovation at Mazda and knows this challenge first hand. He's a terrific addition to our team."

The partnership with Enterprise provides a turnkey way for consumers to conveniently spend time in a new car without any pressure and on their terms. With more than 5,000 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, Enterprise will be able to give customers an opportunity for a more extended test-drives from rental locations nearby.

"We are proud to partner with AutoMatic on this innovative program," said Jeff Morrell, vice president of business development for Enterprise Holdings, which owns and operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car along with the Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands. "Our neighborhood network of locations enables car manufacturers a unique opportunity to reach prospective customers in an easy, convenient way."

AutoMatic identifies prospective buyers online, when they are searching for cars in specific regions, and gives them an opportunity to evaluate a vehicle outside of a high-pressure environment. With the majority of buyers doing their due diligence and pre-vehicle shopping online, the AutoMatic program serves up information on the test drive program on participating dealers' sites and on popular automotive sites where buyers shop and compare information.

"Being on the front lines selling cars today is a huge challenge. Many brands don't have the financial fixed marketing resources to compete effectively with large OEMs, but have fantastic products," said Mr. Privitelli. "Car manufacturers need new, innovative ideas to jump start the sales process by driving consideration and interest in their brand. AutoMatic brings all of this together in a very unique way that takes advantage of the new shopper realities and provides the consumer a one of a kind brand experience that they will talk about with their family, friends and colleagues."

The program can be focused on a single vehicle or a manufacturer's entire fleet, and brands can target anything from a single city to the entire global market. The AutoMatic team works with car companies to set success metrics and conversion ratios that can be measured and optimized to generate maximum profitability and marketing ROI.

Other components of the AutoMatic program include the Easy Schedule™ system, ensuring that interested parties test drive the vehicle they want on their terms; Smart Inventory™ that evaluates and shifts inventory to meet demand; and Dealer Match™ for tracking leads throughout the program to guarantee every consumer receives relevant and timely quotes on the vehicle they've just driven.

"Car brands have used experiential marketing as a means of putting 'butts in seats' for years," adds Mr. Sarkissian. "Our platform creates a scalable, targeted process for creating test drives and measuring their conversion with our strong analytics. With Enterprises' deep infrastructure this program gives manufacturers the ability to execute this program easily and efficiently in any local or international market. Challenger brands need to disrupt – and this is the perfect way to do so."

AutoMatic was founded by Patrick Sarkissian, Matt Mason and Marybeth Atzinger as an independent business to provide technology-based marketing solutions to the automotive industry.

Sarkissian and Mason are proven business leaders who bring invention and technology together for marketers. They are both the founders of SarkissianMason an independent marketing services agency specializing in the creation and development of breakthrough digital brand solutions for its clients. Founded in 1998, SarkissianMason has been a pioneer in helping its clients adapts new technology solutions to better connect with consumers. Its clients include leading Fortune 500 companies including Mazda, Boeing, Chrysler Financial, Nike and others. SarkissianMason is headquartered in New York with offices in Arizona and California.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand with more than 6,000 neighborhood and airport locations in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Germany. Known for exceptionally low rates and outstanding customer service, Enterprise was named to BusinessWeek's annual list of "Customer Service Champs" in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Enterprise has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among North American airport rentals in 10 of the past 11 years, according to J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study. Enterprise also received a 2010 Business Traveler Innovation Award – sponsored by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) and The Wall Street Journal – for its outstanding and original environmental efforts in the travel industry. Enterprise of North America also is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world's largest car rental network.

St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, the largest car rental service provider in the world, operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand through its regional subsidiaries. Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers a wide variety of car leasing, vanpooling, car sharing and hourly rental programs – and local car rental customers are picked up at no extra cost. To further minimize the environmental impact of car rentals, Enterprise not only offers customers the opportunity to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but also to rent a hybrid vehicle in more than 30 major markets. For more information about Enterprise's environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of its business, visit www.enterpriseholdings.com/sustainability. For more information about Enterprise, visit www.enterprise.com.

SOURCE AutoMatic