Budget Names ixL as Internet Agency of Record

Budget Rent a Car Corp., the third largest car and truck rental system and a subsidiary of Budget Group Inc., signed a two-year agreement with iXL as its Internet agency of record.

iXL will have responsibility for all of Budget’s e-commerce development and Web-based advertising. Billings were not disclosed.

iXL was instrumental in the relaunch of Budget’s Web site last September. Budget’s site now offers online booking along with more consumer-friendly features.

Budget said IXL was chosen after an extensive search among both traditional advertising and Web agencies.

“Of all the agencies we reviewed, iXL clearly stood out in terms of technology and knowledge of our business. We’re quite pleased with the level of iXL’s expertise in providing strategic and creative Web solutions and with the way they’ve helped us enter the e-commerce marketplace at full speed,” said Mark Sotir, president of Budget Rent a Car.

“What Budget is doing is acting now to stay ahead of the curve in anticipating the real demand for online services in the car rental industry,” said Bert Ellis, CEO of Atlanta-based iXL. “iXL will provide state-of-the-art Internet tools, technology and marketing support to help Budget drive change in the rental car business.”