Hertz Corp. and Marriott International are partnering to promote a new paid application for Apple?s iPhone offering travel-related services via display advertising and a social media promotion targeting visitors to Hawaii.

Navigation Solutions, a standalone joint venture between Thales Navigation and Hertz, powers the Hertz NeverLost travel services and the new mobile application brand, My Explore. The company is attempting to evolve from a navigation-centric company to a creator and provider of mobile content and connected services targeting both the business and leisure travel markets.

?Navigation Solutions has developed the mobile app My Explore Hawaii to complement the Hertz NeverLost online features, as well as the in-car navigation systems,? said Graham Weedon, project manager of communications and business development at Navigation Solutions, Plano, TX. ?We wanted to expand the offerings that customers could use to get the information they need and find the destinations that interest them, whether it be business or leisure.

?As a business, you would be remiss if you didn?t explore mobile apps to complement what you?ve already got,? he said. ?One of the neat things about Hawaii, you park the car once and do a variety of things, and the mobile app is really unique because it can help you pick your activities for the day.

?App users are never lost, and everyone has their phone at all times, so it continues to aid in activity selection throughout the day.?

Hertz Corp., a subsidiary of Hertz Global Holdings Inc., is a general-use car rental brand operating from approximately 8,200 locations in 146 countries worldwide.

The Hertz NeverLost in-car navigation system provides turn-by-turn audio and visual driving directions to virtually all destinations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Voice prompts are provided in 10 languages.

NeverLost also develops and markets customized destination-specific smartphone applications for travel under the My Explore brand.

Mobile travel and tourism content
Hertz?s goal is to provide travel services via the mobile application that complement the NeverLost system.

The first application in the series is My Explore Hawaii, which provides multimedia content on hundreds of attractions, beaches, excursions and activities on the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.

A mobile travel guide for the state of Hawaii, My Explore Hawaii?s features include a calendar of events for each island, an augmented reality view and multi-mode route listings from a current location to desired location.

?Augmented reality is a neat feature that not everybody has,? Mr. Weedon  said. ?You don?t have to be a Hertz customer to use it, but it is targeting Hertz customers, and it is designed to complement Hertz NeverLost.?

The application also features weather updates with a three-day outlook, the ability to share experiences via Twitter, Facebook and Flikr, and NeverLost Quick Codes for entering into the NeverLost Gen5 for turn-by-turn directions to desired destinations.

While there is no commerce or payment element to the application, travelers can rent a car on their iPhone by going to http://www.Hertz.com or http://www.HertzNeverLost.com.

My Explore Hawaii is available through the Apple?s App Store for $4.99. A version for Android is in development.

Currently, the Marriott Resorts Hawaii banner logo is in production with Marriott?s digital agency.

The only banner ad that is completed is the ad for the app that is currently on the Marriott Hawaii website.

Hertz?s social media promotion with Marriott Resorts Hawaii launched on Jan. 10 and will run for five weeks.

Marriott Hawaii asks one Hawaii trivia question each weekday?Mon.-Fri.?on its Twitter and Facebook sites.

The first person to answer correctly on Marriott?s Facebook page wins a free download of the My Explore Hawaii application.

Hertz is also promoting the trivia contest on its social media on Twitter and Facebook.com/MyExplore.

In addition to social media activity across Twitter and Facebook, Hertz is in discussions with Foursquare and other mobile social networks.

The application is being promoted on Hertz?s Web site, as well as on launch partner Marriott Resorts Hawaii?s site.

?We?re excited about the partnership with Marriott Resorts Hawaii,? Mr. Weedon said. ?They have a banner promoting their service, as well as promotions in the resort itself.

?We?re doing a matching promotion with them, a trivia contest via social media that includes Marriott and other partners we might bring in,? he said. ?Now we have wireless network drives in the fleet in Hawaii and a growing part of the U.S. and Canadian fleet where we can wirelessly send content to your car, a concierge if you will.

?This app is the next step in that progression.?

Final Take
Hertz NeverLost in Vancouver

Waikiki Beach Marriott Hotel