Sunny Cars is a specialist in worldwide holiday car rentals. Thanks to years of experience, the organization possesses a wealth of knowledge and data. However, this knowledge was rarely reflected in the media, and previous press releases and PR efforts were barely picked up. As a result, Sunny Cars' expertise remained under-represented, despite the organization having years of car rental knowledge, its own booking data, and conducting annual research into the behavior and concerns of holidaymakers.
Together with nxt agency, the PR approach was therefore rebuilt. The goal: to translate Sunny Cars' expertise, data, and research insights into timely, newsworthy stories.
"Working with nxt agency truly feels like a partnership."
Sunny Cars' years of practical knowledge are combined with their own booking data, consumer research, and current travel trends. This allowed them to answer questions relevant to a broad audience. What pitfalls and issues do holidaymakers encounter when renting a car? What barriers do Dutch people face when getting behind the wheel abroad? And what trends are visible in rental prices, destinations, and booking behavior?
By supporting the answers to these questions with data, relatable practical examples, and concrete advice, newsworthy stories were created. They aligned with current consumer questions and offered journalists useful information for their readers, viewers, and listeners.
In this process, Sunny Cars was not positioned as a commercial sender, but as an expert explaining to consumers where things can go wrong and how they can avoid problems.
Research that the media picks up
One example of a PR project focused on problems encountered when picking up a rental car. The PR research showed that 40 percent of Dutch holidaymakers are at risk of problems because they are not familiar with the basic rules, such as those regarding credit cards in the main driver's name or late pick-up times.
By linking the research to the run-up to the summer holidays, a timely and relatable news story was created. Media outlets picked up the figures and used Sunny Cars as an expert to explain where things go wrong and how holidaymakers can better prepare themselves.
An approach that works more broadly
The same approach was used for other topics surrounding car rentals and holiday driving. Consumer research yielded stories about fear of scams, uncertainty behind the wheel, and unexpected costs. Internal data was used for news about rental prices, popular destinations, and changing booking behavior.
Every topic was tailored to the right medium. National news outlets received the most striking figures and trends. Consumer programs were provided with practical advice on insurance, documentation, damages, and hidden costs. Business media were approached with developments within the international car rental market.
As a result, Sunny Cars appeared in, among others, BNR Nieuwsradio, MAX Vakantieman, De Telegraaf, and the AD. In these publications and interviews, the organization consistently acted from a position of expertise: not to sell a rental car, but to inform consumers and interpret market developments.
The success of this approach is also evidenced by the PR Public Award, where the campaign was named the best PR campaign of 2025, and nxt agency, together with Sunny Cars, was awarded the Gouden Veer. In addition, the Sunny Cars case was also nominated by the PR Dutch Awards
From minimal reach to national media attention
Between January 2025 and May 2026, this approach led to 210 publications and an estimated reach of 126 million.
More importantly, there has been a shift in the type of visibility. While previous PR efforts rarely made the news, Sunny Cars' stories are now being picked up by national, business, and consumer media. Furthermore, the organization is clearly positioned as a car rental expert in these articles.
This case demonstrates that a good press release doesn't start with what an organization wants to say, but with what is relevant to journalists and their audience. By linking Sunny Cars' expertise to research, current events, and relatable consumer issues, individual PR efforts grew into news stories with national reach.
.png)
