Online Republic, a division of Webjet Limited based locally in New Zealand, is rebranding as GoSee, a consolidated marketplace for car and motorhome rentals worldwide.
GoSee will combine Online Republic’s two separate travel brands, Airport Rentals and Motorhome Republic, into one specialist land travel comparison website.
CEO Darren Linton says that the rebrand is a direct response to the changing travel landscape and spike in demand for road trips, as consumers seek a more effortless experience amongst the overwhelming number of travel options available.
“We want to empower travellers with unrivalled choice and a seamless experience that allows them to search and compare vehicles, all on the same site. There has been a global surge in motorhome and car rental bookings over the last couple of years, with fly-in fly-out single destination trips being rivalled by slower do-it-yourself trips. GoSee’s vision is to equip consumers with everything they need to travel their own way, help them make memories, and connect them to the people and places they love,” says Linton.
The launch of GoSee will also be accompanied by a new advertising campaign, scheduled to launch in two phases in November and March, across OOH, digital and social.
Chief Marketing Officer Ali Duncan says the campaign will focus on celebrating the travel journey, just as much as the destination via the launch of two animated films.
“When it comes to reminiscing on our greatest adventures, our fondest memories don’t always feature the mode of transport we took to get there, but oftentimes the journey is just as enjoyable as the destination. From this insight, our brand line was born – getting there can be as good as being there.
“Our animated films, crafted by creative partners, Daylight Creative, use a reverse pull technique, tracking backwards from memorable moments to reveal the journey it took to get there, which acts as a fun, quirky celebration of travel. We want to emphasise that making memories can be enjoyable from the get-go and encourage travellers to spend more time adventuring and less time planning,” says Duncan.
The brand was developed in partnership with branding agency Translate Digital, who worked with GoSee to create an identity that captures the optimistic, upbeat nature of the type of travellers who will use GoSee to book their wheels to explore the world. The new brand name itself was inspired by the message GoSee want customers to take away, to ‘GoSee far-flung friends, family, and new exciting places, your way’.
According to Linton, the new positioning speaks to the trust that the Online Republic brands have built with travellers over the past 15 years.
“In an industry dominated by travel generalists, GoSee is an expert in the car and motorhome travel niche. Being based locally in Aotearoa, we see ourselves as our customers’ well-travelled and adventurous friend, ready to share expert advice to ensure our customers have the best trip possible,” he says.
The new GoSee website is now live and was developed in partnership with design led digital agency DNA Design. The GoSee interface was designed with simplicity and ease of use at its core, with a focus on creating unique, high value experiences for customers. An enhanced booking flow design is scheduled to launch in early 2022.
