Contents
1. Introduction 2- 2. Online Branding 3
- 2.1 Segmentation and Customisation 4
- 2.2 Website Design 6
- 3.Online Operations ………………………………………………………………...9
- 3.1 Horizontal screening 10
- 3.1.1 Navigability 12
- 3.2 Website conventions (Home Page Link) 14
- 3.3 Design Features to promote usability 14
- 4. Conclusion 18
- References 19
Description
Sixt is a car rental and leasing company which originated in Munich, Germany in 1912. Today, Sixt provides service to their consumers through their company website and 3,500 service stations worldwide (Sixt AG, 2009).
The company’s branding strategy is one of the factors that made Sixt successful. Differentiating from their competitors, Sixt established themselves as “the spirit of mobility,” which conveys a meaning of providing smooth service to their customers. Concentrating on the comfort and satisfaction of their consumers, the process of renting or leasing a car is fast, easy and convenient. The establishment of Sixt’s website supported this positioning. For customers, they can easily select and rent a car at the comforts of their home, office or anywhere.
Sixt’s core brand identities include:
• Provides top-quality services and cars at low prices
• Smooth, hassle-free mobility approach
• Innovative mobility service provider
• A positive image
• A service and customer-oriented range (customer-centred and tailor-made mobility solutions) (Sixt AG, 2009).
According to the company’s website, Sixt’s goal is to “operate as a global player on the world's fastest-growing future market of mobility,” which can further assist the improvement of their market position. By having an electronic base service provider equipped with a unique infrastructure to link services easily, the company has a special competitive advantage. (Sixt AG, 2009) Through the availability of Sixt’s website, customers can easily contact Sixt and avail their services. Furthermore, the company can provide a faster way of dealing with their customers’ needs and demands.
The company’s offline brand image, identity, value proposition and operations need to correspond consistently and provide continuity in their website to compete in the fast-paced marketplace (Rowley, 2004, p.136). Thus, brand building online is necessary and plays a significant role to communicate brand values and build a stronger relationship with its customers.
This report evaluates the online branding and operations of Sixt car rental and leasing company using related framework for branding and operations for websites. It aims to demonstrate the consistency of the offline and online branding and operations by analyzing the Sixt’s website. This report is divided into several parts which includes:
- Online Branding
- Online Operations
- Recommendations
