Case studies · Direct bookings · Performance
Prove the opportunity. Scale what works.
Three Hertz examples across Search, conversion measurement and market expansion. Clear tests, commercial outcomes and the decisions behind them.
to outcome
Hertz’s AI Max adoption drove significant conversion growth.
Context
Hertz saw customers use more complex, multi-brand searches before booking. The opportunity was to capture more high-intent traffic beyond existing campaigns, grow direct bookings and maintain strong return on ad spend.
My role
I led international media investment and effectiveness across the portfolio. For this test, I aligned the commercial objective and measurement expectations with internal stakeholders and our media partner. Artefact provided strategic oversight and helped ensure a fair, clean test setup.
Approach & execution
The team ran an A/B test comparing AI Max with a business-as-usual control group. The test assessed conversion value and total conversions against the control, while keeping ROAS as the efficiency guardrail. Hertz partnered with Artefact to test AI Max in UK Search. The result was reviewed against the control before the feature was scaled across accounts for the direct-booking channel.
Result
The test produced materially more conversion value and total conversions while keeping ROAS close to the control. Hertz then moved to scale AI Max across accounts globally.
From test design to scale decision.
Business objective
Grow online sales and direct bookings.
Audience & intent
Capture high-intent Search demand, including complex multi-brand queries.
Test design
AI Max experiment group versus business-as-usual control.
Success measures
Conversion value and total conversions, with ROAS as an efficiency guardrail.
Scale decision
After the test demonstrated growth with near-maintained ROAS, expand across accounts.
Better conversion signals improved performance at scale.
Context
Hertz needed to improve measurement signal quality while scaling across Europe and maintaining strict return targets.
My role
I led international media investment and effectiveness, aligning the performance objective and measurement approach with the agency and platform teams.
Approach & execution
Connected Meta Conversions API server-to-server and paired it with Advantage+ Shopping to strengthen conversion signals and support machine-learning optimisation. Ran CAPI and Advantage+ Shopping activity against the existing setup, tracking ROAS, transactions, cost and impression delivery.
Result
The case-study slide reports +62% ROAS and +49% transactions for the integrated activity. A separate CAPI-only comparison reported an 85% ROAS lift versus traditional setups, with costs down 6% as impressions grew 29%. These are distinct reported comparisons.
UK prospecting growth created a route into France.
Context
After strong UK prospecting performance, Hertz had an opportunity to apply the learning in a new market while limiting expansion risk.
My role
I led the international media portfolio and worked with market, agency and platform partners to assess performance and shape expansion priorities.
Approach & execution
Used UK performance as the basis to extend Criteo prospecting into France, then monitored early market efficiency using estimated MMM return alongside revenue and transaction trends. Expanded the activity into France and reviewed early results against the UK evidence. The case-study slide also noted a 20% free-media offer to support further tests and market opportunities.
Result
UK prospecting transactions grew 416% year on year and realised revenue grew 520% year on year. France reached an estimated MMM ROAS of $3.5 in July. The slide separately reports approximately $5 before the summer peak and $6.2 July month to date, without labelling those figures as France.
The results above are transcribed from the case-study slides supplied by Kemi. Meta CAPI figures describe separate comparisons as labelled. Criteo’s France MMM ROAS is reported as $3.5 in July. The separate $6.2 July-to-date figure is not labelled as France. All MMM returns are estimates.
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