NEW YORK -- German car rental company Sixt is in more than
100 countries, and seven years ago it planted a stake in Miami. Since then, Sixt has grown its U.S. footprint to about 70 locations, including six new
airport operations in the last six months.
Joked COO of North America Daniel Florence, "We're the oldest
car rental company that nobody knows."
Sixt (founded in 1912) is the largest car rental company in
Germany, Florence said, and is No. 2 in Europe. It is on an upward trajectory in
the U.S., with two more airport locations coming later this year, a focus on
leisure travel and a mission to differentiate itself with premium products and
customer service.
Last month, Sixt took the wraps off its first New York
location, eschewing the airports for a downtown Manhattan site stocked exclusively
with Cadillacs.
The partnership with Cadillac was more than two years in the
making, and Sixt celebrated the launch on July 24 with a party at the Cadillac
House in New York's Tribeca neighborhood and a fleet of Cadillacs, the Sixt
brand emblazoned on their sides, parked prominently on Sixth Avenue (playfully called "Sixt Avenue" by the company for the occasion).
"We really want to launch something different,"
Florence said during a brief presentation at the Cadillac House.
Sixt focuses on premium rentals, so think Mercedes and
Jaguar in addition to Cadillac. A page on the Sixt website shows a tantalizing
display of brands, including Maserati, Porsche and Tesla, although those appear
to be available only in European locations.
Sixt held an event at the Cadillac House in New York to tout its new location in Manhattan. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
"We put a lot of effort on working with our
manufacturing partners to make sure we have the coolest cars out there," Florence
said.
He emphasized concierge-level customer service and described
a rental location experience that has "a different vibe" from its
competitors: Music, good coffee, updates via text message. The interaction
between reservation agent and customer is "come see us, let's talk what
your needs are," Florence said.
To build awareness, Sixt has been working with social
influencers and crafting viral marketing campaigns. It has deals with the major
OTAs and an agent portal at sixtagent.com. Six pays up to 20% commission
depending on the promotion or the product.
Sixt also offers limo and ride-hailing options. It pays 10%
commission on transfers through its MyDriver service, which is available in 38
U.S. cities as well as international destinations. It also has an Uber-style
app for people to book a car service on their phone.