London, United Kingdom – (August 27, 2020) – Avis Budget Group (ABG) has extended its forward-thinking coalition designed to enhance the cleanliness and disinfection of its rental facilities and vehicles to include its European locations*.
Along with Avis Budget Group, the coalition includes RB, which is the maker of Dettol, and a team of medical professionals from leading institutions, including North America’s Columbia University, with expertise in public health, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases. The coalition is also joined by Hip Hop Public Health, which is a North American non-profit organization dedicated to fostering positive behaviour change.
RB, which has been a longstanding customer of Avis Budget Group, will help elevate Avis Budget Group’s cleanliness and disinfection protocols. A team of scientists and germ experts from RB, who are responsible for driving germ-kill innovation for Dettol, will review and provide Avis Budget Group guidance on the latest science and best practices to optimise the efficacy of ABG’s protocols. The introduction of Dettol products at Avis Budget Group’s European rental facilities and vehicles over the coming weeks is part of the new agreement with Dettol and will replace or supplement existing products recommended by the local health authority that Avis Budget Group currently uses.
“At RB, our mission is to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. It is imperative that we protect all consumers, today and in the days ahead as we all look forward to new ways of returning to work and leisure activities, including travel,” said Rahul Kadyan, EVP RB Global Business Solutions, RB. “Dettol has 87 years of heritage, science-based research and thought leadership. We are excited to support Avis Budget Group through awareness, training and education, and adequate product delivery in the hygiene and disinfection space.”
In addition, a group of highly acclaimed medical professionals will combine their knowledge and expertise to form the ABG Medical Advisory Council. The Council is chaired by Dr. Olajide Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Neurology at Columbia University and Founder of Hip Hop Public Health, and includes Dr. Amelia Boehme, Dr. Robert Bollinger, Dr. Gbenga Ogedegbe and Dr. Angela Rasmussen. Collectively, this external team will guide Avis Budget Group in deploying effective tools and enhanced protocols grounded in the latest medical science to help curb the spread of infectious diseases. To cultivate training for Avis Budget Group employees, the Council will collaborate with Hip Hop Public Health, a group known for its ability to curate music-centric content that drives positive behavior change.
“Updating safety protocols and maintaining fidelity to them requires a company to invest in behavior change in order to facilitate and sustain the uptake of new health-related behaviors by its workforce,” said Dr. Olajide Williams. “We are grateful that Avis Budget Group is focusing on safety by investing in the educational process of their employees. The right products and protocols need to be properly and consistently deployed by every single individual who is involved in the process to ensure public health safety.”
“Our commitment to the safety and satisfaction of our customers and employees is unwavering,” said Joe Ferraro, CEO of Avis Budget Group. “Recovering from the impacts of a global pandemic requires innovative solutions and we are excited to announce the Avis Safety Pledge and our Budget Worry-Free Promise. Beyond words, we are taking a comprehensive set of actions through our coalition with Dettol, Hip Hop Public Health and highly esteemed expert medical professionals, aimed at ensuring the products, protocols, and training are in place to raise the bar for cleanliness and safety.”
*Does not currently include locations in Norway, Denmark or Sweden.
About Avis Budget Group
Avis Budget Group, Inc. is a leading global provider of mobility solutions, both through its Avis and Budget brands, which have more than 11,000 rental locations in approximately 180 countries around the world, and through its Zipcar brand, which is the world's leading car sharing network, with more than one million members. Avis Budget Group operates most of its car rental offices in North America, Europe and Australasia directly, and operates primarily through licensees in other parts of the world. Avis Budget Group is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J.
For more information visit www.avis.com and www.budget.com
About Hip Hop Public Health
Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) is an internationally recognized organization that creates and implements multimedia public health interventions designed to improve health literacy, inspire behavior change and promote health equity. Through a research-driven developmental process created by Columbia University Neurologist and Professor Dr. Olajide Williams, HHPH works with socially conscious artists and public health experts to create scalable, highly engaging, culturally responsive music and multimedia "edutainment" tools. HHPH uses validated models of behavior change and evidenced-based research to develop original content and is committed to an iterative cycle of program evaluation, academic research and resource refinement.
About ABG Medical Advisory Council
A group of highly acclaimed medical professionals are joining together to bring their knowledge and expertise to form the ABG Medical Advisory Council. The Council is chaired by Dr. Olajide Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Neurology, Columbia University and includes Dr. Amelia Boehme, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in Neurology, Columbia University, Dr. Robert Bollinger, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Gbenga Ogedegbe, Professor and Director, Division of Health & Behavior in the Department of Population Health. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Dr. Angela Rasmussen, Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements.” Any statements that refer to expectations or other characterizations of future events, circumstances or results, including all statements related to the ABG Medical Advisory Council and the agreements described herein, are forward-looking statements. Various risks that could cause future results to differ from those expressed by the forward-looking statements included in this press release include, but are not limited to, factors described in the “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” sections of Avis Budget Group’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Accordingly, actual results, performance, achievements and events could differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.