Promoting car sharing

• Cost Savings: it saves money – the average car sharer can save in excess of £900 per year on fuel and parking costs.
• Increased Options: it increases travel options for those with no, or limited, car access – particularly for those in rural areas.
• Sociable: it is a way to make new friends and meet colleagues.
• Safety: it can be safer (e.g. having assistance if you break down).

There are a wide range of ways you can promote car sharing to staff.

Advertising:

• Put a car share scheme noticeboard displayed in reception – email tellmemore@liftshare.com or call 01603 389321.
• Display posters – on noticeboards, in lifts, on the back of toilet doors, above urinals, in the canteen or within meeting rooms.
• Include information in staff induction packs.
• Include a message from your Chief Executive on pay slips.
• Display banners at car park entrances and once a year give each car entering your site a leaflet.

• Produce an article in an in-house magazine or newsletter including case studies and photographs of existing car sharers.
• Use current news stories as opportunities e.g. rising fuel costs, New Year resolutions, rise in parking charges, an office move.

Using IT resources:

• Put an ‘easy to find’ link and/or the Liftshare.com widget (link to Liftshare.com widget or how to get it) on your intranet – this enables staff to see how many potential matches there are before registering.
• Send an email to staff from CEO, MD or other respected senior manager.
• Add a car share related message and/or a link to Liftshare.com to your automated email signature.
• Put a temporary notice on your corporate screen saver.

Organising events:

• Set up a car share coffee club – have a computer set up with internet access so staff can sign up with the scheme on the spot. Offer free coffee or cake as an incentive for staff to come. For organisations with large numbers of staff, you could split a meeting room up into geographical areas e.g. Crewe or Macclesfield, or routes e.g. M6, A34, A51 etc. so that staff know where to cluster.
• If you are starting a new car sharing scheme – arrange a launch event with display boards in an area with good footfall such as a canteen. Have a computer and internet access available so staff can register on the spot and offer a small gift such as a chocolate, cake or a voucher to people who sign up.
• Give staff demonstrations on how the scheme works.
• Support national campaigns e.g. National Liftshare week (1 week in October).

Setting up competitions:

• Set up an annual or monthly prize draw for staff who register on Liftshare.com, activate a search and start sharing. Prizes could include a free car wash, fuel vouchers or discounted motoring organisation membership for example.

• Getting car sharing to work is all about selecting the right mix of measures that will work for your business/target audience. Using a selection of options and not focusing on one item really can deliver brilliant results. Liftshare have proven to be extremely easy to work with and responded swiftly when I needed support. Ian Williams, Director of Communications of Think Money Group, Trafford Park.

 

• Liftshare was chosen for its simplicity of use and friendly approach and has proven a great success, with over 800 members using the system. It has proven an integral part of our Green Travel Plan which has now been recognised as one of the top 15 Green Travel plans in the country. Mark Taylor, Bentley Motors.

 

• In 2011, Diageo launched a car-sharing scheme through Liftshare as a solution to reduce the business’s carbon footprint by promoting sustainable travel to its workforce. Liftshare’s system enables Diageo to monitor and report success of the scheme, it provides information such as CO₂ emissions and miles saved, which contributes towards the business’s environmental and sustainability targets. ”Liftshare has been a great tool for us on-site in more ways than one; it enables us to promote Diageo’s commitment to caring for the planet, whilst encouraging our employees to do the same.” Amy O’Donnell, Diageo.

 

• To embed its commitment to sustainability and act as a responsible neighbour, Jaguar Land Rover has introduced a car-sharing scheme through Liftshare as part of their Green Travel Plan. The scheme was not only put in place to reduce traffic on local roads but also ease the demand for parking on-site. This cost-effective solution has supposed its workforce make considerable savings, with employees reducing the cost of their daily commuting by up to £3,000 per year. Car-sharing is seen as a benefit with supports staff needs, delivers business productivity and efficiently manages site resources, enhancing the sites fully-funded park and ride service which ease congestion in the local community. Jaguar Land Rover.

A great way to keep on top of your car sharing promotion is to follow our tip of the month schedule to continue encouraging staff to car share.

• January: New Year’s Resolutions aren’t just about breaking bad habits and giving up what you love.  Why not encourage your staff to introduce a new good habit which could save them hundreds of pounds and make their commutes more enjoyable?
  The typical car-sharer saves on average £987 a year by sharing their daily commute. Encourage your staff to go to Liftshare.com, join for free and start that good habit today!  It takes five minutes to register, find who else is going their way and see how much they could save.
• February: a) If you have a budget for your travel plan and need to spend it before the end of the financial year then you may want to develop some resources to promote your car share scheme. b) Get on the Valentine’s Day band wagon and launch a ‘Love is in the share’ campaign. Give heart shaped chocolates to staff members who register at Liftshare.com or on your car share scheme during February.
• March: Research indicates that people are more motivated to change by what they are losing as opposed to what they may save. Email staff about what they could be losing by driving to work alone.
• April: Offer small Easter eggs to staff when they sign up to the car share scheme on a certain day.
• May: Send an email from a respected member of staff or a Travel Champion to promote car sharing to others.
• June: Email signatures – an effortless way to spread the word. Why not add: ‘Save money and make new friends! Join car share scheme’ to your email signature and encourage others to do the same.
• July: Promote the savings that could be made. Start car sharing now and save enough to pay for next year’s summer holiday.
• August: Organise a car share café with free cakes/biscuits and a computer set up for people to register and look up their journeys.
• September: Create a timetable for Liftshare Week! Start promoting Liftshare Week throughout September.
• October: Support Liftshare Week
• November: Create a video promoting your car share scheme.
• December: Promote cost savings for Christmas presents. Give out free mince pies when promoting car sharing.