Q&A: Dan Alpe, COO and co-founder of JUCY car rentals

NZ Herald

2 Dec, 2015 09:00 PM5 mins to read

Dan Alpe, Co Founder of JUCY car rentals. Photo / Dean Purcell

JUCY squeezes the most from car and campervan hires and is going global.

Q. What is JUCY's point of difference compared to the other rental companies in New Zealand, is it a triumph of marketing or just a different way of doing business?

A. Our point of difference is our brand, we want to give travellers the green light to have the time of their lives and we work hard to make sure we live and breathe this in every aspect of our business. Every day. In some ways it's a triumph of marketing, but it's also absolutely the JUCY way.

Q. You've just launched the Skoot app, how important do you think it is to keep innovating and coming up with new value add products?

A. Innovation is a core focus at JUCY. The likes of Uber and AirBnB are leaving the businesses that sat watching in their wake. Our first JUCY Campa was an innovation in itself - it was designed and built by the boating industry. Skoot is just one of the areas that we are investing time and money in.

There has been a lot of talk recently around foreign drivers and whether laws need to be tighter, what do you think the company's role is with this?

A. We're very aware of the issue and we definitely have an important role to play. We're within a group of industry players that have developed a Code of Practice in conjunction with the New Zealand Police and New Zealand Transport Agency and have been an integral driver in the Code of Practice.

It means we've made a pledge to ensure potential customers question whether a self-drive holiday is the right option for them, before even booking. We also qualify drivers before they get into our vehicles and we actively provide information about safe driving in New Zealand in a wide range of languages.

We want our customers to praise their JUCY self-drive holiday experience and focusing on driver safety before they even get in the car allows them to do that.

Q. JUCY is now in cars, campervans, hotels and the cruise business, how do you decide which industries to branch into or not?

A. As an entrepreneurial business we're always looking at opportunities to diversify our business. If there's an opportunity to JUCYfy it, then it could well be on the menu. Our dream is that a customer drives our JUCY wheels, to their JUCY Snooze and takes a JUCY Cruise, all the while posting photos of themselves in a JUCY T-shirt to our Instagram account.

Q. JUCY seems to target a younger market, how do you cover the whole market, as the younger market is often on more of a budget?

A. We're very much a value proposition which naturally appeals to the younger market. But our voice resonates with the 18-35s because it's fun and generous. But as we diversify into larger, brand new motorhomes, we are definitely seeing a variance and expansion in our customer demographic. We love it though. We often see a German couple in their 60s doing the JUCY wave and totally embracing our way of life.

Q. How do you cater for different market groups? For example, the Chinese market is a fast-growing market, how do you differ your marketing strategy for different customers?

A. The growth we're seeing out of China is huge and the potential even more so. We've recently hired a dedicated sales and marketing resource to build our profile in the Chinese and surrounding markets.

We've particularly identified JUCY Cruise in Milford Sound as a likely area for growth and so aren't just changing the marketing messaging but also making sure the product offering on board fits the market - for example, providing the right food and translating commentary.

Q. The company is in the US and Australia as well now, what is your strategy for competing in other markets?

A. It's imperative that we're relevant and always need a point of difference - taking the US as an example, what we offer there is so different from the large American RVs you'll normally see on the road.

We've essentially created a new market, rather than fighting for existing market share. Our business is also all about people, so we need the right JUCYfyers on the ground, living our company values so the brand is consistent across all markets.

Q. Best piece of advice you've received and best advice for start-ups?

A. Best advice I've received is to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. And for start-ups, if you have a good idea don't be afraid to give it a go, if it doesn't work pick yourself up and make sure you learn from it.