Wunderkind Text Channel Drives 2.4% of All Direct Bookings for a Global Car Rental Brand

Faced with increasing pressure to stand out among numerous global and local competitors, this partner needed to identify a new booking channel that would prompt its audience to act quickly. In 2023, 32% of travelers used mobile devices to book their trips. Given the continued rise in mobile device usage, text messaging presents a key opportunity to engage visitors in a new way. As their customers often compare multiple options before making a decision, this brand sought a partner that could help them engage and convert interest into action in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

Owned channels are the backbone of successful brands. With clickthrough rates four times higher than email, text has positioned itself as a valuable performance driver. Recognizing the potential of text as a new revenue channel, the global car rental brand partnered with Wunderkind. Leveraging Wunderkind’s identification scale, strategic expertise, and cross-channel approach, they not only grew the text channel but also increased the email channel by 19% year-over-year. By utilizing Wunderkind’s AI technology, the car rental brand identified high-intent visitors in real-time and sent targeted, time-sensitive text messages to drive immediate action.

This new customer-centric approach enabled the car rental brand to reach visitors directly on their mobile devices through holistic list growth campaigns, on-demand texts, and behavioral messages. By seamlessly integrating text with the brand’s existing email strategy, they maintained a cohesive customer experience across channels while enhancing their ability to engage customers with the right message at the right time. The results? The car rental brand saw over 318,000 text-attributed reservations in the text channel’s first year. As their business continues to scale, text has driven over 2.4% of all direct bookings, while triggered emails have seen a 19% year-over-year revenue increase. With Wunderkind’s network and strategic partnership, they not only turned text messaging into a powerful new revenue channel but also continued to scale email performance.