A strategic Analysis of Easycar and Easy group of Companies
Easy car was launched in 2000 by Stelios who was already operating and managing Easyjet which was formed in 1995 by taking a loan from his father, an able Shipping Billionaire. This Entrepreneurship related fire and ability may be family attained but Stelios has proven his capabilities by running Easy group of companies. Although some problems have been faced but it has always been said that failure is just learning for the truly famous and successful. Easycar is a brand that gets a lot of loyal customers and followers.
Being famous has its cons and Easycar has had sufficient problems with Legal authorities because the lawyers see a great value in the ability to sue Easy for any little mistake it commits and its customers who make a big deal of everything that happens, which big company or growing brand has not had these problems. Torts and Legalities, financial problems and short comings in marketing environmental analysis do come as the companies grow and expand into all different kinds of segments and focuses. That is why Al Ries always said in his 22 immutable law of branding dont over grow and dont be everything for everyone. But out of the blue weird examples come like Easygroup and Virgin co (Virgin co lead by Richard Branson is one of the companies that like Easy have expanded into all kind of businesses) and we can well study them to see how these companies have become such successes when they have expanded so much that we cannot really understand their core businesses and Essence.
According to the Easy group website Today Easygroup has spread into different categories and types of businesses but some of the major businesses are
Easyjet
Easycar
EasyInternetCafe
EasyCinema
EasyMoney
EasyHotel
When I analyze the Easygroup of companies I get a feel as if its a mirror company to Virgin as it Follows the same line of expansion as Richard branson has done with Virgin Co. Stelios Does not bring any kind of associations to the Brand as does Richard Branson. People love Branson for the witty and wild figure he has. He flies himself and people love to follow him and copy him in to what he does. That gives Virgin Co and any extension that they do instant usage and followers. This maybe a problem for the Easy empire Someday but that is not the focus of our work here we will try to focus on Easycar and how does it stand in the total industry that is direct and indirect or even remotely related. Easycar today is operating in more than 60 companies and is proving to be a strategic success and a wonder ground due to the carefully planned gut wrenching competition that it gives to people by applying just in time policies to its car rental business and the low cost it keeps due to its policies which result in lowest margins and costs for its users and customers. We will be analyzing these policies, the thoughts that led to these policies and how they are affecting the overall business today and how it had an effect on the date the business started. We are also going to try and form some associations that different businesses Easygroup is pursuing bring and how it skews the overall image association and promise that it offers to its consumers and how the overall standing of Easygroup will be affected in the future.
Mission Statement of EasyGroup
Our mission is to Manage and extend Europes leading value Brand to more products and services, whilst creating real wealth for all Stakeholders.
Vision Statement of EasyGroup
EasyGroup will develop leading value brands into a global force. We will pain the world Orange.
Mission Statement of EasyCar
At Easycar we aim to offer you outstanding value for money. To us value means reliable service at a low price. We achieve this by simplifying the product that we offer, and passing on the benefits to you in the form of lower price.
So all in all the vision and Mission statement give us an entry point into the mentality of the EasyGroup and resultantly Easycars management. Basically for them expanding so much is not the problem rather they want to be a part of each and everything in our life and become a brand more powerful than any other. Also the other focus of their business is to become a Global force by expanding outside Europe and in other potential countries.
Easycars mission statement clearly states the mission of the company is to follow the vision of Easygroup and offer its customer as much value as possible for as less cost as possible. Also Stelios explains reliability as the main mission behind operations of Easycar and that is why they have always bought the best cars available for renting out and also have kept the prices and margins as low as possible. Another factor to keep in mind is that the mission of Easycar is to simplify the product that is making the process of renting out cars and returning them as easy as possible. Easycar has failed here a little bit which will be explained later on as customers have complained that there are hidden costs and it sometimes takes too long to get the product or service needed.
These Mission and Value statements explain to us the culture existing in the workplace and will be very useful in getting the overall picture of the steps that they have taken from time to time and the future that exists for them.
Examination of EasyCar, Environment and Opportunities
Before Thinking of the future we will need to have a look in the past and see what would have been the factors that Stelios and team analyzed and targeted on launch. This would give us enough base and give us the opportunity to see what the company was targeted to be, where it is going and what strategic thinking has been the cause of any change or manipulation in the direction target.
In any business before launch an environmental and business analysis is done. As to get a better view of where Easycar is standing, we will do an analysis that Stelios and team must have done before the launch of Easycar. The analysis will concentrate on Environmental and Competitive variables which are one of the most important prior to launch of a Brand. This information helps a company to make a strategic plan on how to defend itself from attacks of the Competition and how to perceptually map themselves for the consumer so that they have a different appeal and get positioned in the consumers mind effectively from where it is difficult to take them out.
First of all we would try to do Environmental scanning and recreate the variable that may have existed for Easycar and group of companies in 9899.
Macro Environmental Scanning
Macro environmental scanning includes the more macro variables that if not directly indirectly affect the business and can create problem in the short as well as long term.
Economy
1999 was the first year that Euro was adopted in Europe and England at that time avoided its use because of the power that Pound held relative to the undervalued Euro at that time. This was and could create problems for Easycar where it had to operate in two currencies and had to take the currency and exchange rate risk. This overall strategy made it much more risky because it operated in many currencies at that time and must have made investments by converting one kind of currency.
GDP and overall Economic performance was going good and it was a positive plus point for the company. The tourism was also increasing and at that time world was in more of a peaceful bliss so the problems existing were much lower and controlled unlike the situation that developed after 911. Consumer and investor confidence had been rising which was also evident in the rising profitability of Easyjet and Easygroup. The future looked safe and invigorating. This was economically the perfect moment for the launch of a company as Inflation was controlled and people had increasing incomes and many people who could only opt for public transport were acquiring the ability to rent cars and get cars for a whole day. Another factor that resulted for better economic conditions was that people were travelling more and tourism was on the rise in Europe which increased the overall success rate of a business that had a whole segment of tourists to pay attention to.
Government and Legal Environment
Stelios is and was a much influential figure in all of the power circles as we already know that he has been invited into European business community societies for giving his voice in the future planning and what he thinks should be the direction of European parliaments and planning.Easycar did not face any problem from governmental side. The policies and taxation in most of the Europe were being added with consistency so companies could operate freely within Europe without having any big difficulty. This move helped for an easy launch of Europe wide service, brands and products.
Technology
At the time of their launch use of technology was just picking up and not many of the companies were using intensive technological factors such as that Easyjet was using. This gave it an upper hand with the use of technology and the effective efficient functioning of it. It was only able because of the intensive experience that they already had with the Easyjet business. Technology was going to play a big role for demand based pricing and information systems were used all over the organization. Europe especially western Europe most of it had the technological capabilities and the required manpower to fulfill the technological needs of Easycar, Easygroup and their future endeavors. It was a plus point for Easycar that it was placed in such an environment that it could easily use the technological manpower and its own experiences to apply the setting everywhere it went in Europe easily.
Socio-Cultural Factors
Europe has demographics where the population is aging and kids are decreasing in number. The baby boomers are growing older and a much more independent Generation Y has come up.
Population
According to a study by (BBC) the most populous regions of the European union according to descending order were London with 12 million, Paris with 11.6 million, Madrid with 5.6 million, Ruhr with 5.4 million, Berlin with 4.9 million, Barcelona with 4.8 million, Milan 3.9 million and Athens and Rome with 3.7 million each. These were the cities with the most population and urbanization. These could have been the target of Easycar but remember the bigger the city the bigger is the competition which would have to be kept in view when landing into these cosmopolitans. So, Easycar would have to invest more in Advertisement, publicity and plan carefully in these Cities to grow and survive.
We can also judge about the aging population from a study done by (BBC) which states that Europe needs to increase its fertility rate and babies per mother or it needs to shut its lamp out as labor shortages will occur and the total number of babies will decrease and older peoples population will increase.
If we do an analysis of what the Article says we can easily deduce that in the future if the situation doesnt get better people will have lesser babies which in turn leads to people buying lesser cars when they live independently as they wont need to and the cost associated with it can easily be mitigated by travelling through the local transport services. I say this because it has been seen that people buy cars when they get married and have kids for their protection and to make their life easier when they drop them to schools in weird weather etc. So the future is although not in favor of Europe in the very long term and needs to change but is in favor of Easycar which can easily tap into this growing population which goes on vacations more and may need to rent a car from time to time as their wage rate increases and they start investing more for enjoyment. Self actualization leads to people spending more for enjoyment but we also must remember that due to the increasing wage rates and falling population industries may start moving out and lead Europe into Recession that doesnt end easily and this is something that cannot be predicted easily.
Attitude of the Population
European population according to (Eurobarometer, 2008) is growing fast, today 37 of the population is above the age of 55 and more than 50 is above the puberty age. People are growing fast and so are the attitude and the want to live and grow alone and live with as much independence as possible. Surveys reveal that the young take marriage as a periphery and want to be independent. This attitude reveals a growing interest as already discussed in Rent a car services because people usually living alone travel through public transport. Also as independent people usually Date more and are outgoing because of this factor the industry may face a growing trend towards car rental industries in the future.
Another trend that is being seen is the growing tendency towards environmental cleanliness and towards the use of organic commodities and perishable items. People are touchier about the environment. Having a plan to use Mercedes cars that were A class could and can be used as an Environment Friendly stance to reduce the carbon being produced in the air. Easycar would need to increasingly use Environment and also build environment friendly processes to win customer loyalty both on benefit and value basis if we keep the Brand value pyramid in view.
Amalgamation of Cultures
Europe today has become a culture house where all the ethnic societies of the world meet. More and more labor is being imported from developing countries to fulfill the void that exists. This will also be an opportunity for Easycar. It all depends on how it builds touch points and activates the brand as a commodity and service for the population that comes from abroad. Those people usually dont have cars and can become a loyal customer base while they work and live in Europe.
Supply of Labor
Another thing to be kept in mind was the Supply of labor which has been falling since the people are aging due to low population increase. This creates problems for companies as demand increases and the wage rates go up which increases the cost for companies. This was a problem and will cause problem in the future. For this reason they will have to plan and operate with as less labor as possible and reduce the costs as much as possible. This is also one reason why vacant parking lots and online business is the best policy to reduce Labor needed and maximize the returns.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
The company for its launch had a powerful big brother and it was the right time for the launch of a sibling. As Al Ries explains in his book 22 immutable laws of branding, there is always a time and space for the launch of a sibling. Because Easyjet was doing well it gave a good momentum for the launch of a much related service i.e. Easycar.
The time tested business model that proved to be very successful for the Jet business was available with EasyGroup and it gave them a huge push.
The founder is very competent and had a flamboyant love for business and Entrepreneurship. He also has a lot of experiences from his previous launches which were a plus point for Him and the company if launched.
As the Company believed totally in disintermediation and keeping its own employees and not having any franchises or middle man a lot of the cost could be cut, which would make it the strength of Easycar i.e. reduce its costs and help it to become cost leader in the sector.
Easyjet always had a system in place to exercise demand based price settings, through experience Stelios wanted to bring it to Easycar as well this was a huge step ahead and was is the strength of Easycar which allows it to give competition and also keep gut wrenching prices so as to get margins according to the situation but still keep the prices low. The benefit was that when demand was low prices were kept at the lowest but when it was high prices were increased. This way the company kept as much turnover of its parked cars as possible.
The planned high use of technology and technology based approaches was also a strengthening factor. They already had high technology based systems employed in Easyjet these technologies if employed in the car rental industry would more or less be one of a kind and give them an upper hand and a strength which was very difficult to match.
It was planned to keep the costs transparent which would be a strength forever. People will trust Easycar more and will already know how they will be dealt with if certain car related issues arise. This will and does allow the Easycar brand to build a trust with the customer and build associations and emotional touch points.
Weaknesses
It only used to offer one kind of a car at set places. This was problematic for some people. As people wanted a certain kind of a car especially the business and luxury segment. It is also a weakness as people may want variety and change the company or Rent a car service to some provider that had more car choices. Although Easycar decided on this policy to reduce costs but it may reduce the overall revenues due to choice atrophy.
The process of picking up the car was extremely time taking and was also problematic for some people in a hurry. It sometimes took more than half hour for the employees to bring up the car and provide it to the customer.
There were lots of Documentation, formalities, form filling and Advance payments hidden costs which though were removed later were a big hurdle to getting loyal customers as they used to get annoyed and left. This weakness will have been thought of but as Easycar was the cheapest and kept its margins to the lowest possible people could have just let it happen.
With the cost reduction strategy according to new media publications and advertising agency Easycars biggest weakness is its low attention to advertising campaigns and publicity. According to them it was and will be the biggest weakness for their strategic plans. On launch according to Al-Ries in his 22 immutable laws of Branding says that publicity results in the birth of a brand and advertising is used to maintain it. Easycar had no such plan and still seems to be behind in this sector which for sure is a weakness.
The overall brand expansion of Easy from jets to many other branches if not now will be a weakness where the consumer will be in suspended disbelief as to what to believe about Easygroup of companies. This problem was showing and is showing where many branches of Easygroup are suffering losses.
As cars have to be picked up and sent back on time, the main target population was the tourists or travelers who wanted to rent a car and they may get or may not be on time due to the flight getting late. Nothing was put in place to deal with this situation and may lead to customers leaving and not being loyal to Easycar as they would feel ripped off for something that wasnt their fault.
Opportunities
As discussed in the strengths portion and the environmental analysis of Europe, Car rental is and was seen as a ripe industry for growth. There is a lot of opportunity in this sector as the attitudes towards life, marriage and working changes. If used in a proper way and trends, Consumer preferences are followed it can be made into a budding business unlike others.
Another opportunity that exists is that this industry is seen as ripe for consolidation and if Easycar becomes a big player it can well merge or acquire other business getting more control and customers. As when competition reduces as a result of companies merging, acquiring or forced takeovers people have less choice giving companies more control on the margins they can charge. This increases the overall revenues and profits making the company a much more profitable entity putting back more in the overall investments for the company itself and Easygroup as a whole.
With the Tourism industry on the rise and the Shenghen Visa in full effect a rising trend of Eurotrips from America is becoming evident. There is a big opportunity in the Tourism industry as people go from one side to other. More and more people are working in different countries and businesses have much more interests in different part of Europe and the globe as a whole. People go on a jet in one day and come back on the same day fulfilling their business needs. This will result in a rising trend of using Rented Cars. If tapped into and positioned for these customers it well can become a big opportunity for Easycar.
The facility of renting a car in one hour and also cleaning it yourself reduces the cost for people and also allows Easycar to take over the Taxi service. This facility service if used intelligently is one of the biggest opportunity that Easycar can exploit.
Threats
One of the biggest threats was the dug in and well established competitors that already had a big following. Competition required Easycar to keep its margins lower. This is a threat as it may become a problem where the competitor may dish out flanker services making it difficult to get customers. This presence of national, regional and international companies made the job difficult and would continue to be a problem.
Another threat that Easycar faced were legal challenges. It never knew when government was going to pass a considerably new policy which may affect its total working process. It is not necessary that government comes up with a new policy but you never really know what is in store from the government and law makers. Also the procedure that had been put together to fulfill the requirements was lengthy and annoying and was also going to invite many torts. There also existed a considerable chance that by mistake someone elses picture or sheet was attached somewhere else. As when people were not found returning the car on time their information which included security numbers and picture was given in the news papers. It had a problem that people feared that a user may get into some problem and his picture maybe given or someone elses picture and social security numbers may end up in the news creating problems for that person. This had got many employees, legal representatives and customers speaking and could damage the reputation of the company considerably in any time in the future.
Porters 5 Forces
The threat of Substitute products or Services
When we see the industry we see many competitors but also a very favorable environment. The propensity for buyer to use a substitute is high and as a result this increases the Buyers power. Relative to the competition although Easycar had less choices as Car type was always kept one all over the location but at the same time cost was also kept lower in comparison to others which got many customers thinking should they go for lower prices or personal choice. Because the cost of switching was zero other than the one time cost that was charged when Easycar was registered with, there was all the more probability of customers switching if they did not leave as a delighted and satisfied customers. It is also important for Easycar to keep its quality consistent throughout Europe so as to further strengthen its brand as the best that never lets its quality dwindle.
The threat of entry of a new competitor
As Europe gets more consistent policies, the threat of new competition increases. Already the Situation is ripe for consolidation. The chances of consolidation gives a chance for big players to land into the industry and acquire companies becoming a big player and giving competition considerably affecting the profits for Easycar. As Easygroup has a much diluted brand equity because of its spreading around all kinds of businesses and interests which has put the customer in a suspended disbelief.
But as economy was ripe anything could happen. Customer wanted to go for a more easily available and less costing brand and if the new entry was keeping the margins as low as possible it could be a winner.
Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
The competition is high as many of the brands have a high fire power and investment behind them. This is also a problem as Easygroup has a policy of cost cutting and depended more or less on word of mouth. As discussed earlier this was a problem as Easycar never believed in much investment in advertising and that is the reason why other competitors give Easycar much difficult time For example Avis Europe and it is also the reason why Easycar has such low Mindshare with users.
The bargaining power of customers
Customers have a huge power and say in what the companies do because they can easily change their services that they are intending to use because they have alternatives to the service they are using for example there are some big 4 companies contending for a customers attention example Avis and independent Players are also there. The cost of switching a supplier is close to zero and with a lot of choice it is much easier for them to go with the best.
The Bargaining power of Suppliers
As Easycar is a big customer and would be needing cars throughout Europe it would be a great thing for any company to get a contract from such a big client. In this case the bargaining power of companies is not much as they always want to sell. As far as Mercedes is concerned they were having problems with their A class series and would have been happy to get such a big Client. In this condition their bargaining power was further reduced giving Easycar the power to bargain and get the best price possible.
So overall we can say that Easycar has a fair good chance of excelling in this industry by being consumer oriented which was the reason why they quickly got in more cars. Only this customer orientation and developing products by being in close contact with a sample of people that are the most representative of Easycars customers is going to give them a higher hand and bargaining power both with the suppliers and also with the customers as they would have a loyal following.
BCG Matrix
Easygroup has a lot of Stars but also a lot of dogs which puts them in a difficult situation as to the portfolio management. With such a big portfolio Easygroup needs to concentrate on the stars which Easycar is and needs to Milk the cows such as Easyjet and Easyhotel and also sell or kill the dogs such as EasyInternet so as to keep the overall business as efficient as possible.
Target Market Evaluation
Easycar wanted to target the daily traveler, seldom renter and Tourist as well. Their main target market had been the people who travel within Europe using Easyjet as they would get a value added product that when they use Easyjet services they land at an airport in some part of Europe and take a car from the same company and drive to work, get their work done or go on a vacation come back at the airport leave their cars and go home. So a distant traveler and tourist was the main customer as it was for this fact that facilities were kept near to the airport although it was not as good as having a facility on the airport but to reduce cost they kept it near the airports where Easyjet usually operated i.e. top 17 cities in Europe and Train stations as to target the users who were travelling within Europe. This is also the reason why airport locations were well maintained, advertised about and kept open 24hrs every day. Having facilities in all major 17 cities of Europe had the same reason. But seeing the fact that only tourism isnt going to help a taxi like rent a car service model was implemented which allowed users to rent the car for as less as one hour and return it. This service was revolutionary and very much practical which targeted a daily use customer who was travelling within city. So slowly Easycar is stepping in all kind of services and offering to all kind of target market.
Current Situation and what the Future Holds
Rent a car industry
The rent a car industry has faced some problems and is semi integrated still ripe for consolidation and consist of different situation with every other country. Easycar which is spreading in more and more locations is becoming a very powerful part of it.
Rental industry as a total according to a study consists of two differentiated segments. One is the business segment that is not price sensitive and focuses entirely on satisfaction, luxury, convenience and flexibility. This segment of car renters comprises of about 35 55 of the total. While the rest of the Renters are usually the Tourists and leisure oriented within city travelers that comprise of about 45 65 of the total. These people are extremely price sensitive and want the best for the lowest cost.
How Easycar has evolved and changed
Easycar started its services in 2000, using the success of Easyjet it opened locations near airports where Easyjet was already a big hit. This gave it the momentum it needed to get going. In the beginning the fleet only consisted of A class Mercedes. This was a problem for some people as they wanted variety especially the business people who wanted luxury and bigger cars. But as far as my analysis goes in the beginning it was all about Tourists for Easycar which later changed as today Easycar offer variety of cars, luxury vehicles and even Vans and other facilities as it has expanded its market to various different target markets which includes luxury cars as explained before for business segment etc.
The fleet was always kept up to date and prices kept at the lower possible rate. At the beginning a car could be rented at 15 Euros a day with one time preparation fee of 8 Euros. Although people did say that it had some hidden fee and had problems with the legal considerations taken but it has all changed as Easycar has listed all prices and costs down for their customers in a very detailed manner so no problem would come up for the customer and they would be satisfied with their buy.
Easycar is now focusing on businesses and locations in different places. It has also brought out low cost vehicles so as to focus on all kind of segments and populations. So overall Easycar has changed a lot and so has Easygroup. They are more and more trying to penetrate into as many markets as possible and bring in as much variations and differentiators as possible.
Easygroup and its massive Extensions
As we already saw from the vision and mission of Easygroup it has wanted to be a force to be reckoned with. But its massive expansion and untimely increases of touch point with customers is decreasing its importance as a rule of branding says that the more things your brand is associated with the less its retention and mindshare is with the customer and target. A simple example would be the launch of EasyInternetCafe. EasyInternet was much less successful rather I would call it a failure for company running such big ventures because it had less thought process put into it. It had a less strategic thinking put in and the business was much different than the core businesses as at that time they were completely related with transport. Also another big reason for the bad performance was a changing trend. Internet was available in each and every home and was not something that people were interested to use outside. Also another big reason for it being less successful is that trends have changed people cannot live without internet, it is available within phones through edge and 3g technologies and also it is no more a commodity rather a necessity. The changing trends and attitudes of people were the main reason for its less successful stance. Question 9
So concluding we can say that Currently Easycar is in good hands it is going great and if it goes so it can have a good future. Trends are changing and they need to be followed. Easycar needs to keep itself as the cost leader and also introduce as many new initiatives as possible to provide better service, products and facilities and also lower the costs in these rising inflationary times. Differentiation and variety will help it a lot in achieving these motives. Easycar is a demand driven business that keeps its margins not in zero or negative but positive as the margin although low is kept positive and it varies with the demand and supply. This is a great feature as it lets it reduce it costs and also remain competitive and sustainable. Today is a difficult time as economy goes down and recessionary inflation is talk of the time. Easycar can easily sustain rather it can make more profits as it is difficult for people to buy cars as they are in saving mode. Using this trend in advertising campaigns and to attract customers it can come up with a low cost strategy that provides customers with an easypay or easyloan service as well i.e. lend them money and allow them to rent the car in monthly payments or with lower pay rates. It is very much evident that If the costs are kept low people would use the Rent a car service of Easycar and not buy cars till the economy get betters. So I think that there is nothing to worry about in todays time for Easycar and Easygroup.
Recommendations for the future
Try to consolidate by acquiring other companies and making strategies to completely dish them out of the competition by hostile takeovers or being so competitive and keeping such low Margins that people dont use other service providers. These strategies need to be followed to increase the share and become the biggest player in the industry.
Curb the Expansionary strategy of Easygroup as recession may hit the company bad which would make the other brands like Easyjet and Easycar suffer as a whole. Hampering the already low Advertising budget.
Care should be employed in using the Easy brand as today people are in suspended disbelief and dont know what it stands for.
More differentiation should be brought into the service with luxury cars offered so as to bring in the Luxury Business segment.
Merge the services of Easycar and Easyjet as much as possible for example giving the customers and tourists an option to use Easyjet and also book a car with Easycar at discounted rate. Another great way of promoting both these services is keeping free miles for flying frequently with Easyjet. This will make a conglomerate of companies that vertically integrates and offer as much value added services as possible. This strategy would increase the touch point with customers and make Easyjet or Easycar the preferred service for people. It would also make the future much safer for the companies and their management.
Much more needs to be spent on Branding and marketing of the products so as to create more awareness by educating the employees through integrated and brand based marketing. When employees know the core and feature of the marketing plan it would result in more efficient messaging between the company and the target market.
Focus on the core businesses and pull the plug on the businesses that are an expansion so remote that does not make sense. Also dieing brands and services that are nothing but a loss for example the Internet business need to be eliminated.
Cost cutting strategies and just in time inventory management principle need to be employed in the business of renting out cars and managing parking spaces and lots by using intelligent and advanced information management systems.
The biggest recommendation from my side is that recession is here and as far as product expansion is concerned Easygroup should control itself and tighten its economic and financial controls. They need to focus on its core business and not expand or bring new services rather for the future I recommend that they should reduce their Businesses or variations so as to get some solid Associations for their Brand and become more efficient in the overall future.
Stelios used his passion for working and becoming an Entrepreneur. He had a good knowledge base and experience from the launch of Easyjet and he diverted his thought process and educated experiences which he got from the launch of Easyjet and some that he learnt from his father to the setting up of this business. Easycar was a good success because Stelios and team had good experience with these kinds of businesses due to the portfolio of business that they had planned and Easyjet was a big one which gave them the authority to say that they knew what to do. Stelios has today brought Easygroup of companies to a stage where less companies get the chance to and he should not lose it by spreading all over the place without thinking. It is the right time for Easycar and Easy group to consider and concentrate on what already has started and use this recession for their benefit by bring low cost services and build their brand by effective activation and marketing so as to build association with the Customer whenever and wherever possible in the most efficient and cost effective manner.
Being famous has its cons and Easycar has had sufficient problems with Legal authorities because the lawyers see a great value in the ability to sue Easy for any little mistake it commits and its customers who make a big deal of everything that happens, which big company or growing brand has not had these problems. Torts and Legalities, financial problems and short comings in marketing environmental analysis do come as the companies grow and expand into all different kinds of segments and focuses. That is why Al Ries always said in his 22 immutable law of branding dont over grow and dont be everything for everyone. But out of the blue weird examples come like Easygroup and Virgin co (Virgin co lead by Richard Branson is one of the companies that like Easy have expanded into all kind of businesses) and we can well study them to see how these companies have become such successes when they have expanded so much that we cannot really understand their core businesses and Essence.
According to the Easy group website Today Easygroup has spread into different categories and types of businesses but some of the major businesses are
Easyjet
Easycar
EasyInternetCafe
EasyCinema
EasyMoney
EasyHotel
When I analyze the Easygroup of companies I get a feel as if its a mirror company to Virgin as it Follows the same line of expansion as Richard branson has done with Virgin Co. Stelios Does not bring any kind of associations to the Brand as does Richard Branson. People love Branson for the witty and wild figure he has. He flies himself and people love to follow him and copy him in to what he does. That gives Virgin Co and any extension that they do instant usage and followers. This maybe a problem for the Easy empire Someday but that is not the focus of our work here we will try to focus on Easycar and how does it stand in the total industry that is direct and indirect or even remotely related. Easycar today is operating in more than 60 companies and is proving to be a strategic success and a wonder ground due to the carefully planned gut wrenching competition that it gives to people by applying just in time policies to its car rental business and the low cost it keeps due to its policies which result in lowest margins and costs for its users and customers. We will be analyzing these policies, the thoughts that led to these policies and how they are affecting the overall business today and how it had an effect on the date the business started. We are also going to try and form some associations that different businesses Easygroup is pursuing bring and how it skews the overall image association and promise that it offers to its consumers and how the overall standing of Easygroup will be affected in the future.
Mission Statement of EasyGroup
Our mission is to Manage and extend Europes leading value Brand to more products and services, whilst creating real wealth for all Stakeholders.
Vision Statement of EasyGroup
EasyGroup will develop leading value brands into a global force. We will pain the world Orange.
Mission Statement of EasyCar
At Easycar we aim to offer you outstanding value for money. To us value means reliable service at a low price. We achieve this by simplifying the product that we offer, and passing on the benefits to you in the form of lower price.
So all in all the vision and Mission statement give us an entry point into the mentality of the EasyGroup and resultantly Easycars management. Basically for them expanding so much is not the problem rather they want to be a part of each and everything in our life and become a brand more powerful than any other. Also the other focus of their business is to become a Global force by expanding outside Europe and in other potential countries.
Easycars mission statement clearly states the mission of the company is to follow the vision of Easygroup and offer its customer as much value as possible for as less cost as possible. Also Stelios explains reliability as the main mission behind operations of Easycar and that is why they have always bought the best cars available for renting out and also have kept the prices and margins as low as possible. Another factor to keep in mind is that the mission of Easycar is to simplify the product that is making the process of renting out cars and returning them as easy as possible. Easycar has failed here a little bit which will be explained later on as customers have complained that there are hidden costs and it sometimes takes too long to get the product or service needed.
These Mission and Value statements explain to us the culture existing in the workplace and will be very useful in getting the overall picture of the steps that they have taken from time to time and the future that exists for them.
Examination of EasyCar, Environment and Opportunities
Before Thinking of the future we will need to have a look in the past and see what would have been the factors that Stelios and team analyzed and targeted on launch. This would give us enough base and give us the opportunity to see what the company was targeted to be, where it is going and what strategic thinking has been the cause of any change or manipulation in the direction target.
In any business before launch an environmental and business analysis is done. As to get a better view of where Easycar is standing, we will do an analysis that Stelios and team must have done before the launch of Easycar. The analysis will concentrate on Environmental and Competitive variables which are one of the most important prior to launch of a Brand. This information helps a company to make a strategic plan on how to defend itself from attacks of the Competition and how to perceptually map themselves for the consumer so that they have a different appeal and get positioned in the consumers mind effectively from where it is difficult to take them out.
First of all we would try to do Environmental scanning and recreate the variable that may have existed for Easycar and group of companies in 9899.
Macro Environmental Scanning
Macro environmental scanning includes the more macro variables that if not directly indirectly affect the business and can create problem in the short as well as long term.
Economy
1999 was the first year that Euro was adopted in Europe and England at that time avoided its use because of the power that Pound held relative to the undervalued Euro at that time. This was and could create problems for Easycar where it had to operate in two currencies and had to take the currency and exchange rate risk. This overall strategy made it much more risky because it operated in many currencies at that time and must have made investments by converting one kind of currency.
GDP and overall Economic performance was going good and it was a positive plus point for the company. The tourism was also increasing and at that time world was in more of a peaceful bliss so the problems existing were much lower and controlled unlike the situation that developed after 911. Consumer and investor confidence had been rising which was also evident in the rising profitability of Easyjet and Easygroup. The future looked safe and invigorating. This was economically the perfect moment for the launch of a company as Inflation was controlled and people had increasing incomes and many people who could only opt for public transport were acquiring the ability to rent cars and get cars for a whole day. Another factor that resulted for better economic conditions was that people were travelling more and tourism was on the rise in Europe which increased the overall success rate of a business that had a whole segment of tourists to pay attention to.
Government and Legal Environment
Stelios is and was a much influential figure in all of the power circles as we already know that he has been invited into European business community societies for giving his voice in the future planning and what he thinks should be the direction of European parliaments and planning.Easycar did not face any problem from governmental side. The policies and taxation in most of the Europe were being added with consistency so companies could operate freely within Europe without having any big difficulty. This move helped for an easy launch of Europe wide service, brands and products.
Technology
At the time of their launch use of technology was just picking up and not many of the companies were using intensive technological factors such as that Easyjet was using. This gave it an upper hand with the use of technology and the effective efficient functioning of it. It was only able because of the intensive experience that they already had with the Easyjet business. Technology was going to play a big role for demand based pricing and information systems were used all over the organization. Europe especially western Europe most of it had the technological capabilities and the required manpower to fulfill the technological needs of Easycar, Easygroup and their future endeavors. It was a plus point for Easycar that it was placed in such an environment that it could easily use the technological manpower and its own experiences to apply the setting everywhere it went in Europe easily.
Socio-Cultural Factors
Europe has demographics where the population is aging and kids are decreasing in number. The baby boomers are growing older and a much more independent Generation Y has come up.
Population
According to a study by (BBC) the most populous regions of the European union according to descending order were London with 12 million, Paris with 11.6 million, Madrid with 5.6 million, Ruhr with 5.4 million, Berlin with 4.9 million, Barcelona with 4.8 million, Milan 3.9 million and Athens and Rome with 3.7 million each. These were the cities with the most population and urbanization. These could have been the target of Easycar but remember the bigger the city the bigger is the competition which would have to be kept in view when landing into these cosmopolitans. So, Easycar would have to invest more in Advertisement, publicity and plan carefully in these Cities to grow and survive.
We can also judge about the aging population from a study done by (BBC) which states that Europe needs to increase its fertility rate and babies per mother or it needs to shut its lamp out as labor shortages will occur and the total number of babies will decrease and older peoples population will increase.
If we do an analysis of what the Article says we can easily deduce that in the future if the situation doesnt get better people will have lesser babies which in turn leads to people buying lesser cars when they live independently as they wont need to and the cost associated with it can easily be mitigated by travelling through the local transport services. I say this because it has been seen that people buy cars when they get married and have kids for their protection and to make their life easier when they drop them to schools in weird weather etc. So the future is although not in favor of Europe in the very long term and needs to change but is in favor of Easycar which can easily tap into this growing population which goes on vacations more and may need to rent a car from time to time as their wage rate increases and they start investing more for enjoyment. Self actualization leads to people spending more for enjoyment but we also must remember that due to the increasing wage rates and falling population industries may start moving out and lead Europe into Recession that doesnt end easily and this is something that cannot be predicted easily.
Attitude of the Population
European population according to (Eurobarometer, 2008) is growing fast, today 37 of the population is above the age of 55 and more than 50 is above the puberty age. People are growing fast and so are the attitude and the want to live and grow alone and live with as much independence as possible. Surveys reveal that the young take marriage as a periphery and want to be independent. This attitude reveals a growing interest as already discussed in Rent a car services because people usually living alone travel through public transport. Also as independent people usually Date more and are outgoing because of this factor the industry may face a growing trend towards car rental industries in the future.
Another trend that is being seen is the growing tendency towards environmental cleanliness and towards the use of organic commodities and perishable items. People are touchier about the environment. Having a plan to use Mercedes cars that were A class could and can be used as an Environment Friendly stance to reduce the carbon being produced in the air. Easycar would need to increasingly use Environment and also build environment friendly processes to win customer loyalty both on benefit and value basis if we keep the Brand value pyramid in view.
Amalgamation of Cultures
Europe today has become a culture house where all the ethnic societies of the world meet. More and more labor is being imported from developing countries to fulfill the void that exists. This will also be an opportunity for Easycar. It all depends on how it builds touch points and activates the brand as a commodity and service for the population that comes from abroad. Those people usually dont have cars and can become a loyal customer base while they work and live in Europe.
Supply of Labor
Another thing to be kept in mind was the Supply of labor which has been falling since the people are aging due to low population increase. This creates problems for companies as demand increases and the wage rates go up which increases the cost for companies. This was a problem and will cause problem in the future. For this reason they will have to plan and operate with as less labor as possible and reduce the costs as much as possible. This is also one reason why vacant parking lots and online business is the best policy to reduce Labor needed and maximize the returns.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
The company for its launch had a powerful big brother and it was the right time for the launch of a sibling. As Al Ries explains in his book 22 immutable laws of branding, there is always a time and space for the launch of a sibling. Because Easyjet was doing well it gave a good momentum for the launch of a much related service i.e. Easycar.
The time tested business model that proved to be very successful for the Jet business was available with EasyGroup and it gave them a huge push.
The founder is very competent and had a flamboyant love for business and Entrepreneurship. He also has a lot of experiences from his previous launches which were a plus point for Him and the company if launched.
As the Company believed totally in disintermediation and keeping its own employees and not having any franchises or middle man a lot of the cost could be cut, which would make it the strength of Easycar i.e. reduce its costs and help it to become cost leader in the sector.
Easyjet always had a system in place to exercise demand based price settings, through experience Stelios wanted to bring it to Easycar as well this was a huge step ahead and was is the strength of Easycar which allows it to give competition and also keep gut wrenching prices so as to get margins according to the situation but still keep the prices low. The benefit was that when demand was low prices were kept at the lowest but when it was high prices were increased. This way the company kept as much turnover of its parked cars as possible.
The planned high use of technology and technology based approaches was also a strengthening factor. They already had high technology based systems employed in Easyjet these technologies if employed in the car rental industry would more or less be one of a kind and give them an upper hand and a strength which was very difficult to match.
It was planned to keep the costs transparent which would be a strength forever. People will trust Easycar more and will already know how they will be dealt with if certain car related issues arise. This will and does allow the Easycar brand to build a trust with the customer and build associations and emotional touch points.
Weaknesses
It only used to offer one kind of a car at set places. This was problematic for some people. As people wanted a certain kind of a car especially the business and luxury segment. It is also a weakness as people may want variety and change the company or Rent a car service to some provider that had more car choices. Although Easycar decided on this policy to reduce costs but it may reduce the overall revenues due to choice atrophy.
The process of picking up the car was extremely time taking and was also problematic for some people in a hurry. It sometimes took more than half hour for the employees to bring up the car and provide it to the customer.
There were lots of Documentation, formalities, form filling and Advance payments hidden costs which though were removed later were a big hurdle to getting loyal customers as they used to get annoyed and left. This weakness will have been thought of but as Easycar was the cheapest and kept its margins to the lowest possible people could have just let it happen.
With the cost reduction strategy according to new media publications and advertising agency Easycars biggest weakness is its low attention to advertising campaigns and publicity. According to them it was and will be the biggest weakness for their strategic plans. On launch according to Al-Ries in his 22 immutable laws of Branding says that publicity results in the birth of a brand and advertising is used to maintain it. Easycar had no such plan and still seems to be behind in this sector which for sure is a weakness.
The overall brand expansion of Easy from jets to many other branches if not now will be a weakness where the consumer will be in suspended disbelief as to what to believe about Easygroup of companies. This problem was showing and is showing where many branches of Easygroup are suffering losses.
As cars have to be picked up and sent back on time, the main target population was the tourists or travelers who wanted to rent a car and they may get or may not be on time due to the flight getting late. Nothing was put in place to deal with this situation and may lead to customers leaving and not being loyal to Easycar as they would feel ripped off for something that wasnt their fault.
Opportunities
As discussed in the strengths portion and the environmental analysis of Europe, Car rental is and was seen as a ripe industry for growth. There is a lot of opportunity in this sector as the attitudes towards life, marriage and working changes. If used in a proper way and trends, Consumer preferences are followed it can be made into a budding business unlike others.
Another opportunity that exists is that this industry is seen as ripe for consolidation and if Easycar becomes a big player it can well merge or acquire other business getting more control and customers. As when competition reduces as a result of companies merging, acquiring or forced takeovers people have less choice giving companies more control on the margins they can charge. This increases the overall revenues and profits making the company a much more profitable entity putting back more in the overall investments for the company itself and Easygroup as a whole.
With the Tourism industry on the rise and the Shenghen Visa in full effect a rising trend of Eurotrips from America is becoming evident. There is a big opportunity in the Tourism industry as people go from one side to other. More and more people are working in different countries and businesses have much more interests in different part of Europe and the globe as a whole. People go on a jet in one day and come back on the same day fulfilling their business needs. This will result in a rising trend of using Rented Cars. If tapped into and positioned for these customers it well can become a big opportunity for Easycar.
The facility of renting a car in one hour and also cleaning it yourself reduces the cost for people and also allows Easycar to take over the Taxi service. This facility service if used intelligently is one of the biggest opportunity that Easycar can exploit.
Threats
One of the biggest threats was the dug in and well established competitors that already had a big following. Competition required Easycar to keep its margins lower. This is a threat as it may become a problem where the competitor may dish out flanker services making it difficult to get customers. This presence of national, regional and international companies made the job difficult and would continue to be a problem.
Another threat that Easycar faced were legal challenges. It never knew when government was going to pass a considerably new policy which may affect its total working process. It is not necessary that government comes up with a new policy but you never really know what is in store from the government and law makers. Also the procedure that had been put together to fulfill the requirements was lengthy and annoying and was also going to invite many torts. There also existed a considerable chance that by mistake someone elses picture or sheet was attached somewhere else. As when people were not found returning the car on time their information which included security numbers and picture was given in the news papers. It had a problem that people feared that a user may get into some problem and his picture maybe given or someone elses picture and social security numbers may end up in the news creating problems for that person. This had got many employees, legal representatives and customers speaking and could damage the reputation of the company considerably in any time in the future.
Porters 5 Forces
The threat of Substitute products or Services
When we see the industry we see many competitors but also a very favorable environment. The propensity for buyer to use a substitute is high and as a result this increases the Buyers power. Relative to the competition although Easycar had less choices as Car type was always kept one all over the location but at the same time cost was also kept lower in comparison to others which got many customers thinking should they go for lower prices or personal choice. Because the cost of switching was zero other than the one time cost that was charged when Easycar was registered with, there was all the more probability of customers switching if they did not leave as a delighted and satisfied customers. It is also important for Easycar to keep its quality consistent throughout Europe so as to further strengthen its brand as the best that never lets its quality dwindle.
The threat of entry of a new competitor
As Europe gets more consistent policies, the threat of new competition increases. Already the Situation is ripe for consolidation. The chances of consolidation gives a chance for big players to land into the industry and acquire companies becoming a big player and giving competition considerably affecting the profits for Easycar. As Easygroup has a much diluted brand equity because of its spreading around all kinds of businesses and interests which has put the customer in a suspended disbelief.
But as economy was ripe anything could happen. Customer wanted to go for a more easily available and less costing brand and if the new entry was keeping the margins as low as possible it could be a winner.
Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
The competition is high as many of the brands have a high fire power and investment behind them. This is also a problem as Easygroup has a policy of cost cutting and depended more or less on word of mouth. As discussed earlier this was a problem as Easycar never believed in much investment in advertising and that is the reason why other competitors give Easycar much difficult time For example Avis Europe and it is also the reason why Easycar has such low Mindshare with users.
The bargaining power of customers
Customers have a huge power and say in what the companies do because they can easily change their services that they are intending to use because they have alternatives to the service they are using for example there are some big 4 companies contending for a customers attention example Avis and independent Players are also there. The cost of switching a supplier is close to zero and with a lot of choice it is much easier for them to go with the best.
The Bargaining power of Suppliers
As Easycar is a big customer and would be needing cars throughout Europe it would be a great thing for any company to get a contract from such a big client. In this case the bargaining power of companies is not much as they always want to sell. As far as Mercedes is concerned they were having problems with their A class series and would have been happy to get such a big Client. In this condition their bargaining power was further reduced giving Easycar the power to bargain and get the best price possible.
So overall we can say that Easycar has a fair good chance of excelling in this industry by being consumer oriented which was the reason why they quickly got in more cars. Only this customer orientation and developing products by being in close contact with a sample of people that are the most representative of Easycars customers is going to give them a higher hand and bargaining power both with the suppliers and also with the customers as they would have a loyal following.
BCG Matrix
Easygroup has a lot of Stars but also a lot of dogs which puts them in a difficult situation as to the portfolio management. With such a big portfolio Easygroup needs to concentrate on the stars which Easycar is and needs to Milk the cows such as Easyjet and Easyhotel and also sell or kill the dogs such as EasyInternet so as to keep the overall business as efficient as possible.
Target Market Evaluation
Easycar wanted to target the daily traveler, seldom renter and Tourist as well. Their main target market had been the people who travel within Europe using Easyjet as they would get a value added product that when they use Easyjet services they land at an airport in some part of Europe and take a car from the same company and drive to work, get their work done or go on a vacation come back at the airport leave their cars and go home. So a distant traveler and tourist was the main customer as it was for this fact that facilities were kept near to the airport although it was not as good as having a facility on the airport but to reduce cost they kept it near the airports where Easyjet usually operated i.e. top 17 cities in Europe and Train stations as to target the users who were travelling within Europe. This is also the reason why airport locations were well maintained, advertised about and kept open 24hrs every day. Having facilities in all major 17 cities of Europe had the same reason. But seeing the fact that only tourism isnt going to help a taxi like rent a car service model was implemented which allowed users to rent the car for as less as one hour and return it. This service was revolutionary and very much practical which targeted a daily use customer who was travelling within city. So slowly Easycar is stepping in all kind of services and offering to all kind of target market.
Current Situation and what the Future Holds
Rent a car industry
The rent a car industry has faced some problems and is semi integrated still ripe for consolidation and consist of different situation with every other country. Easycar which is spreading in more and more locations is becoming a very powerful part of it.
Rental industry as a total according to a study consists of two differentiated segments. One is the business segment that is not price sensitive and focuses entirely on satisfaction, luxury, convenience and flexibility. This segment of car renters comprises of about 35 55 of the total. While the rest of the Renters are usually the Tourists and leisure oriented within city travelers that comprise of about 45 65 of the total. These people are extremely price sensitive and want the best for the lowest cost.
How Easycar has evolved and changed
Easycar started its services in 2000, using the success of Easyjet it opened locations near airports where Easyjet was already a big hit. This gave it the momentum it needed to get going. In the beginning the fleet only consisted of A class Mercedes. This was a problem for some people as they wanted variety especially the business people who wanted luxury and bigger cars. But as far as my analysis goes in the beginning it was all about Tourists for Easycar which later changed as today Easycar offer variety of cars, luxury vehicles and even Vans and other facilities as it has expanded its market to various different target markets which includes luxury cars as explained before for business segment etc.
The fleet was always kept up to date and prices kept at the lower possible rate. At the beginning a car could be rented at 15 Euros a day with one time preparation fee of 8 Euros. Although people did say that it had some hidden fee and had problems with the legal considerations taken but it has all changed as Easycar has listed all prices and costs down for their customers in a very detailed manner so no problem would come up for the customer and they would be satisfied with their buy.
Easycar is now focusing on businesses and locations in different places. It has also brought out low cost vehicles so as to focus on all kind of segments and populations. So overall Easycar has changed a lot and so has Easygroup. They are more and more trying to penetrate into as many markets as possible and bring in as much variations and differentiators as possible.
Easygroup and its massive Extensions
As we already saw from the vision and mission of Easygroup it has wanted to be a force to be reckoned with. But its massive expansion and untimely increases of touch point with customers is decreasing its importance as a rule of branding says that the more things your brand is associated with the less its retention and mindshare is with the customer and target. A simple example would be the launch of EasyInternetCafe. EasyInternet was much less successful rather I would call it a failure for company running such big ventures because it had less thought process put into it. It had a less strategic thinking put in and the business was much different than the core businesses as at that time they were completely related with transport. Also another big reason for the bad performance was a changing trend. Internet was available in each and every home and was not something that people were interested to use outside. Also another big reason for it being less successful is that trends have changed people cannot live without internet, it is available within phones through edge and 3g technologies and also it is no more a commodity rather a necessity. The changing trends and attitudes of people were the main reason for its less successful stance. Question 9
So concluding we can say that Currently Easycar is in good hands it is going great and if it goes so it can have a good future. Trends are changing and they need to be followed. Easycar needs to keep itself as the cost leader and also introduce as many new initiatives as possible to provide better service, products and facilities and also lower the costs in these rising inflationary times. Differentiation and variety will help it a lot in achieving these motives. Easycar is a demand driven business that keeps its margins not in zero or negative but positive as the margin although low is kept positive and it varies with the demand and supply. This is a great feature as it lets it reduce it costs and also remain competitive and sustainable. Today is a difficult time as economy goes down and recessionary inflation is talk of the time. Easycar can easily sustain rather it can make more profits as it is difficult for people to buy cars as they are in saving mode. Using this trend in advertising campaigns and to attract customers it can come up with a low cost strategy that provides customers with an easypay or easyloan service as well i.e. lend them money and allow them to rent the car in monthly payments or with lower pay rates. It is very much evident that If the costs are kept low people would use the Rent a car service of Easycar and not buy cars till the economy get betters. So I think that there is nothing to worry about in todays time for Easycar and Easygroup.
Recommendations for the future
Try to consolidate by acquiring other companies and making strategies to completely dish them out of the competition by hostile takeovers or being so competitive and keeping such low Margins that people dont use other service providers. These strategies need to be followed to increase the share and become the biggest player in the industry.
Curb the Expansionary strategy of Easygroup as recession may hit the company bad which would make the other brands like Easyjet and Easycar suffer as a whole. Hampering the already low Advertising budget.
Care should be employed in using the Easy brand as today people are in suspended disbelief and dont know what it stands for.
More differentiation should be brought into the service with luxury cars offered so as to bring in the Luxury Business segment.
Merge the services of Easycar and Easyjet as much as possible for example giving the customers and tourists an option to use Easyjet and also book a car with Easycar at discounted rate. Another great way of promoting both these services is keeping free miles for flying frequently with Easyjet. This will make a conglomerate of companies that vertically integrates and offer as much value added services as possible. This strategy would increase the touch point with customers and make Easyjet or Easycar the preferred service for people. It would also make the future much safer for the companies and their management.
Much more needs to be spent on Branding and marketing of the products so as to create more awareness by educating the employees through integrated and brand based marketing. When employees know the core and feature of the marketing plan it would result in more efficient messaging between the company and the target market.
Focus on the core businesses and pull the plug on the businesses that are an expansion so remote that does not make sense. Also dieing brands and services that are nothing but a loss for example the Internet business need to be eliminated.
Cost cutting strategies and just in time inventory management principle need to be employed in the business of renting out cars and managing parking spaces and lots by using intelligent and advanced information management systems.
The biggest recommendation from my side is that recession is here and as far as product expansion is concerned Easygroup should control itself and tighten its economic and financial controls. They need to focus on its core business and not expand or bring new services rather for the future I recommend that they should reduce their Businesses or variations so as to get some solid Associations for their Brand and become more efficient in the overall future.
Stelios used his passion for working and becoming an Entrepreneur. He had a good knowledge base and experience from the launch of Easyjet and he diverted his thought process and educated experiences which he got from the launch of Easyjet and some that he learnt from his father to the setting up of this business. Easycar was a good success because Stelios and team had good experience with these kinds of businesses due to the portfolio of business that they had planned and Easyjet was a big one which gave them the authority to say that they knew what to do. Stelios has today brought Easygroup of companies to a stage where less companies get the chance to and he should not lose it by spreading all over the place without thinking. It is the right time for Easycar and Easy group to consider and concentrate on what already has started and use this recession for their benefit by bring low cost services and build their brand by effective activation and marketing so as to build association with the Customer whenever and wherever possible in the most efficient and cost effective manner.
