Case1Zipcar: It's Not About CarsIt's About Urban Life

Imagine a world in which no one owns a car. Cars would still exist, but rather than owning cars, people would just share them. Sounds crazy, right? But Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar, the world's largest car-share company, paints a picture of just such an imaginary world. And he has nearly 800,000 passionate customers, or Zipsters, as they are calledwho will back him up.

Zipcar specializes in renting out cars by the hour or day. Although this may sound like a minor variation on the established rental car agency business, car- sharing, a concept pioneered by Zipcar, is an entirely different concept. As Griffith took the driver's seat of the young start-up company, he knew that if the company was going to achieve cruising speed, it needed to be far more than just another car service. Zipcar needed to be a well-positioned brand that appealed to a customer base with unfulfilled needs.

1. What problem does Zipcar solve for an organization?
2. Describe the beliefs and values associated with Zipcar's brand image.