Dive Brief:
- Avis Budget Group and Amazon have partnered to reward U.S. Amazon customers with special perks when they rent a car, according to an Avis press release.
- Since last week, Amazon customers who book an Avis vehicle have been able to save money on their rental and receive an Amazon gift card valued at 10% (based on time and mileage). Later this month, those who book an Avis vehicle using the Avis skill for Amazon Alexa will receive a gift card valued at 20%.
- The new tie-up builds upon a relationship between the two companies from 2017 when Avis launched an Alexa skill allowing Avis customers to make a car rental reservation, review current or past reservations and request an e-receipt of their last rental.
Dive Insight:
This perk is one of the few Amazon offers that aren't reserved for Amazon Prime members only, but it's yet another way for Amazon to expand the reach of its voice assistant, Alexa.
Amazon is locked in battle with Google, and add-ons like this help. Smart speakers are one of the hottest segment in the global consumer electronics market, and the two tech giants continue to compete for shipments, sales and share especially in the U.S.
The e-commerce giant took a big leap on Prime Day, with some of its best deal on its Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Look, Fire TV Stick devices, ranging from 30% to 50% off. That led to sales of more than one million smart home devices on July 17, the second day of its 36-hour Prime Day event, making it the biggest sales day for smart home devices in the e-commerce giant's history.
Of course, this partnership helps Avis too. Beth Kinerk, senior vice president of sales at Avis, said in a statement last week that the company hopes to drive more customers to Alexa. "Amazon customers are accustomed to convenient and on-demand services, and Avis Budget Group is pleased to be able to add travel to the mix," she said.