PARSIPPANY, NJ — Car rental giant Avis Budget Group, whose worldwide brands include Avis, Budget and Zipcar, has consolidated its global PR business with Edelman, PRovoke Media has learned.

A spokesperson confirmed Avis Budget named Edelman its global AOR following a competitive review that started late last year. The partnership officially began this month.

Edelman will be handling the full range of communications responsibilities spanning corporate and consumer work for the company, which also serves as an umbrella group for local car rental brands.

Avis Budget has historically handled its PR on a regional basis. In 2016, the company consolidated its EMEA business with Weber Shandwick. The company has also worked with Clarion in the UK.


The switch in agencies comes roughly a year after the June 2020 appointment of CEO Joe Ferrero, who has been charged with repositioning the company to mitigate the fallout from the pandemic, which hit the car rental business hard with the rest of the travel industry. The moves so far have included cutting $2 billion in costs and selling 100,000 vehicles worldwide.