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TRAVELOCITYDUDE…WHERE’S MY PR?

Suggested Approach

Presented By

VOLLMER

May 17, 2004

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Objectives

Secure media coverage on local and one-way car rentals from Travelocity

Convey Travelocity offers good car deals Reiterate that Travelocity is an advocate for consumers

through TotalPrice For Cars Help drive traffic to Travelocity’s car path

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Target Audiences

Media – consumer, travel and trade Industry analysts Current and potential Travelocity members

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Media Targets

Newswires, such as Dow Jones, Associated Press and Reuters

National Newspapers (consumer, lifestyle, travel), such as New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today

Top 25 and Gap Cities Daily Newspapers (consumer, lifestyle, city/metro, travel)

Local Media (print and broadcast), such as Dallas/Ft.Worth and San Francisco

Television Stations in Top 25 and Gap Cities Online Media, such as about.com Travel Trades, such as Travel Weekly and Auto Rental News

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PR Approach

Help create a new market of local car renters Special occasions Car back-up during repairs Insurance replacement Business Weekend trips

Secure media coverage, highlighting the benefits of local/

off-airport car rentals

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Announcement

Convenience and benefits of local car rentals with overhaul of off-airport car rentals Local car rental locations displayed through geo-coding capabilities,

such as zip code, address or landmark, which haven’t been as comprehensive online until now

Ability to reserve one-way car rental Between city-suburban, city-airport and airport-city locations

New Web site design New grid display Brings base rate and TotalPrice on front screen Shows prices for five car types after initial search Incorporates Travelocity’s new look-and feel throughout entire car

path

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Key Messages Travelocity offers consumer comprehensive, yet easy-to-use, services to find the

best price and location for their specific car rental needs Location information hasn’t been as comprehensive online until now

Geo-coding – Ability to find closest location based on zip code, address or landmark New local off-airport rental information

Good for many uses, such as special occasions, car repairs, insurance replacement, business, weekend trips, etc.

New one-way rental option Good for many uses, such as moving, taking children to college, etc.

New grid display, including Travelocity’s new look and feel Travelocity is an advocate of consumers by providing honest and upfront pricing

when renting a car TotalPrice for Cars – Now TotalPrice and base rate upfront

Consumers have access to good deals on Travelocity with all major car rental companies through its valued relationships with suppliers Car promotions Use of discount codes (AAA, AARP, etc.)

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Tactics: Phase One

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Local Story Angles

• Special Occasion Rentals

• Need that nice car for wedding, birthday, anniversary or other occasion

• Visit your nearest off-airport rental location

• Car Repairs Saves time by choosing a rental car close to home/office

• Budget Shoppers Choice of picking up at airport or off-airport, based on TotalPrice

and their budget

• Home Improvement Rent a truck or larger vehicle for summer projects Holds larger equipment and supplies better

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Local Story Angles

• Moving Convenience of picking up/dropping off at closest location Can be for personal or business Option of renting larger car to drop off college freshman with luggage

and then fly back – ties into back-to-school season

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Travel Story Angles

• Avoiding The Wait Airports crowded and rental car lines longer Save time by going to nearest off-airport location

• Rise In Gas Prices Renting smaller vehicles when going on weekend trips (mostly for

individuals or couples)

• Car Leasers Having mileage restrictions can put a damper on your weekends or

longer road trips Pick up car at nearby off airport location

• Day Trips On vacation, but need car for only one day Can pick up/drop off at nearest rental facility Example: visiting Las Vegas, yet want to see Grand Canyon

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Resource Ideas Car Tax Study

Use car tax study in airports to contact Top 25 and gap cities TV Off-airport locations another option

Top 10 List Best and worst places to rent a car (based on how spread out

airports are) Cities with largest number of car rental locations

Rental Data Use data to find out car type most people rent at off-airport locations Compare regions, such as Texas renting SUVs vs. California renting

luxury or specialty vehicles Local Secrets

When Amy discusses Local Secrets, Big Finds, tie in idea of renting car to visit these top spots

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Other Media Tactics Media Follow-Up

Aggressive follow-up with key consumer, lifestyle, travel and trade media to secure coverage

Third Party Comment Brief key industry analysts

Forrester - Henry Harteveldt Jupiter - Mike Altomari PhoCusWright - Lorraine Sileo Abrams Consulting - Neil Abrams

Provided they have a positive reaction, offer them to media as sources on a broader story

E-mail Tagline Promote Dude in Vollmer’s e-mail tagline

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Spokespersons Phil Kennewell, primary spokesperson for major media outlets Tracey Weber, secondary spokesperson Joel Frey, back-up spokesperson

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Media Materials

News Release Distribute June 16 (one week after June 9 soft launch) Distributed broadly to hundreds of national and local media

outlets (including broadcast and online media) via Business Wire Sent to targeted media and other industry analysts who have an

interest in travel/Travelocity TV News Alert

Distribute June 17 (weekend)/June 28 (consumer) The alert will be distributed broadly to hundreds of consumer

reporters at affiliates nationwide B-roll

Update existing b-roll with new footage of car path

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PR Tactics: Phase Two

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Study Options include:

Off-Airport Car Tax Study Conduct another rental tax study by doing a comparison of off-airport vs.

airport car rental taxes at the top 75 cities in the U.S. Update Airport Car Tax Study

Complete another airport car rental tax study to use as a benchmark on whether car rental taxes have gone up or down in the past year

Car Rental Behavioral Poll Conduct a poll around car rental behaviors

How do people drive a rental car? Do you speed or go through toll booths with car rentals? Do you purchase insurance? What amenities do you need? Why do you rent a car?

Timing TBD

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Promotional Ideas

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Potential Ideas Gnome Antenna

For all members who rent off-airport, they receive a “gnome head” to put on the antenna (aka Jack-in-the-Box) of their rental car and their own car later

Gnome Bobblehead For all members who rent off-airport, they receive a “gnome

bobblehead” they can put on dashboard of their rental car and their own car later

Gnome on GPS For all members who rent off-airport, have the gnome be the

voice behind GPS system in their rental car Can add in occasional quips from gnome to continue building his

personality and connection in customers’ minds

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Potential Ideas• Summer Promotion

Off-airport locations in gap cities In June, free upgrades when you book at an off-airport location In July, free GPS when renting for more than three days

• Luxury Car Rental Giveaway Give away a year’s worth of luxury car rentals

For 52 straight days, customers who book off-airport car rental on Travelocity will be automatically entered to win a luxury car rental for a week

Minimum 3-day rental required

• Car Perks Partner with hotel chain and offer customer discount on off-airport car

rental Book hotel and car rental on Travelocity and receive

10% off car rental rate Free car upgrade

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Next Steps

Finalize key messages Develop release and talking points Update b-roll