How Avis created a new digital strategy with Magnolia

In 2011, Avis Budget Group US acquired Avis Budget EMEA, creating a new global business entity, which grew again when the group bought Zipcar and Payless. With multiple brands serving different customer segments, the company took a strategic decision to move away from its previous federated business model in the EMEA region to a more centralized approach that promoted integration, collaborative working and operational efficiency. 

The old Avis and Budget websites ran on a mix of bespoke CMS solutions which were cumbersome to manage and required specialized domain knowledge as well as significant ongoing IT team involvement for effective maintenance. Avis Budget EMEA engaged Xaeus Blue to create a unified digital presence that would allow users to experience the various brands seamlessly, across multiple channels, devices and platforms.

Xaeus Blue and Avis Budget agreed that for the new digital strategy to succeed, a key component was required: a standardized, centralized platform that supported core content management and content delivery functionality, yet that was easy to integrate and customize to the needs of specific markets, brands, channels and touchpoints.

As part of its evaluation process, Xaeus Blue investigated approximately 20 different CMSs for Avis Budget EMEA. Of these, 12 were commercial solutions and the remainder were a mix of open-source solutions and custom tooling used elsewhere in the organization.

When performing their evaluation, Xaeus Blue looked for a system that could provide core CMS functionality, ease of use, scalability and extensibility. Magnolia ticked all the boxes. The team also realized that Magnolia's use of open APIs and data standards created rich integration and customization opportunities that would simplify sharing and customizing content across multiple touchpoints.

Following the selection of Magnolia, Xaeus Blue helped Avis Budget develop a program of work, giving special attention to the task of content migration. The team migrated tens of thousands of pages from the previous Avis and Budget websites, making changes to match the refreshed Avis and Budget brand identities and new sales and marketing objectives. To avoid disruption to existing business activities, the team also planned and synchronized the migration operations with other business teams within the company. Magnolia's modular architecture was useful during the implementation process, as it allowed the team to quickly implement important new functionality using existing modules.

In late 2013, the new Avis UK website was launched.  In June 2014, it was followed by the Budget website, after a six-month implementation period.  The use of Magnolia changed the way content is created and published for both brands, enabling them to offer compelling customer experiences across devices and markets. 

The new websites clearly distinguish between the premium Avis brand and the more informal Budget brand using appropriate imagery, layout, content and tone of voice. The websites also include a number of interactive features, making it easier for customers to book cars. In addition, the Avis site smoothly integrates the brand's loyalty program - Avis Preferred -  into the booking process.

Magnolia's workflow features are critical to the operation of the new sites, ensuring that access is properly controlled and managed by the right stakeholders.