Alamo and Universal Studios Recreation Group Announce Marketing Partnership
15 November 1999
Alamo and Universal Studios Recreation Group Announce Marketing Partnership
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--Nov. 15, 1999---Alamo Becomes Official Car Rental Company for Universal Studios Recreation Group; Cross Marketing and Co-Branding Add Value for Mutual
Customers-
Alamo Rent A Car, the nation's premiere leisure-oriented car rental company, and Universal Studios Recreation Group, a division of Universal Studios, a diversified international entertainment company, today announced a new three-year marketing partnership. The agreement makes Alamo the official car rental company of Universal's Recreation Group, which includes Universal Studios Hollywood, CityWalk Hollywood and Universal Studios Escape in Orlando, a resort destination featuring Islands of Adventure, CityWalk Orlando and Universal Studios Florida. The agreement also paves the way for a host of joint marketing programs, promotions and exclusive offers to benefit consumers and travel trade customers alike.
"This marketing partnership is a perfect fit for both organizations," said Maria Menendez, Alamo's vice president of marketing. "Because Alamo already targets leisure travelers in its advertising and marketing efforts, the demographics of our target audiences, as well as our creative, innovative styles of brand delivery, are similar. The synergies between our companies will result in a fully integrated partnership with multiple value-added benefits for our mutual customers."
In addition, Alamo will be the official car rental supplier for Universal Studios Vacation Packages, a division specializing in international and domestic tours. Alamo has already opened a rental location at the elegant Portofino Bay Hotel, a Lowes Hotel in Universal Studios Escape in Orlando, which captures the ambiance of the romantic Italian seaside village of Portofino. The access to on-location car rental services enhances the hotel's world-class service profile while simultaneously fulfilling Alamo's brand promise to deliver a rental experience that is "fun, easy, and more than just cars."
Alamo will also feature Universal ticket sales at its airport location in Orlando, where Alamo is the market leader and operates the world's largest car rental facility. Ticket sales will also be available soon at the Alamo airport location in Los Angeles, where it is the second largest provider of car rental services.
"The opportunities for co-branding and co-marketing are tremendous," said Elayne Garofolo, chief marketing officer, Universal Studios Recreation Group . "Alamo's existing dominance in our primary recreational locations, Los Angeles and Orlando, combined with its commitment to the leisure market, will make this partnership a powerful force to grow both our brands."
Although the entire scope of the partnership marketing programs has not been finalized, components of the program will include Internet opportunities, call transfer programs and co-branded advertising.
Universal Studios Recreation Group also includes the international properties Universal Studios Port Aventura in Spain; Universal Studios Experience Beijing in China; and Universal Studios Japan, opening in 2001.
Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com) is a diversified international entertainment company engaged in production and distribution of theatrical, television and home video products; operation of theme parks around the world; merchandising of a wide variety of entertainment-related consumer products; production and distribution of interactive entertainment; and retailing. Universal Studios is a unit of The Seagram Company Ltd., a global entertainment and beverage company.
Alamo, operated by AutoNation, Inc. , serves more than 15 million travelers a year through 103 locations in the United States and Canada, and more than 400 international locations in Europe and Latin America.