Avis ran the famous “We’re Number 2, so we try harder” campaign for decades.
Cialdini’s weakness-first principle. Admitting a flaw before someone discovers it builds trust and reframes the weakness as a strength. “We’re not the biggest” becomes “we’ll work harder for your business.”
They leaned into the underdog position instead of pretending to compete head-to-head with Hertz on size or reach.
Avis went from losing money to profitable within a year. They stayed with the campaign for 50 years because it kept working.
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