1. Presentation
Branding and promotional activities involve different campaigns and tools that seek to promote the bicycle and its benefits. It includes brochures, news bulletins, mass media, social networks, apps, events, etc., which can be used individually or together. They integrate the so-called soft measures, which push for the voluntary change in mobility patterns.
A comprehensive promotional campaign is meant to “sell” the idea of cycling to those who currently do not and to create a positive bicycle image for the general audience.
2. Objectives
- Promoting a positive bicycle image, breaking with existing resistances and increasing its social acceptance;
- Sensitizing the general population for the benefits of cycling and promoting modal shift;
- Pushing cyclists to do it more frequently;
- Pushing people to use bicycle as a transportation mean.
3. Measure’s importance
Promotional activities or campaigns take a central role in achieving mobility behaviour changes, because infrastructure alone does not bring the desired increase in cycling levels. Promotional activities facilitate acceptance, involve the community and appeal to emotions, selling the idea of cycling like any other product, using mainstream marketing principles and techniques to promote and reinforce the idea of cycling as a “normal” mode of transport for all.
1. Good Practices
– Branding should be based on market researches to determine which messages and images attract the target-audience (not the people who already cycle) and be based on the best way to transmit these messages to an effective promotional campaign.
– Campaigns should provide information and incentives to cycle and simplify its use to the maximum, instead of focusing on alerting to the dangers of cycling, baseless recommendations or an excessively legal approach – factors which can dissuade people.
– The same way car adverts promote a certain lifestyle, a cycling campaign should appeal to the audience’s emotions and sell the idea of cycling. A campaign is generally associated to a determined slogan and/or image, though specific messages transmitted by the campaign depend on their target-audience.
– The use of influential people and success cases to serve as an example and inspiration can have a great impact.
– Any measure package should be accompanied by a promotional campaign encompassing the totality of its interventions. Not only should each measure be properly introduced, as a whole, the package also needs an informative and promotional campaign.
– In starter cities, in the initial stages of their cycling development, the first investments should be in infrastructure and education. Only afterwards should there be an investment on promotional campaigns, to present something new and positive to potential cyclists.
– Monitor citizens’ adaptation to changes and reformulate measures to respond to users’ needs, without compromising sustainable ideals (See Management, monitoring and maintenance).
– Explain the principles behind the measures taken so that their need and functioning are clear (See Information).
2. Actions
 | Promoting bicycle’s image Promoting the bicycle’s brand and the message of bicycle-friendly environments, transmitting the image of the bicycle as a conventional activity, conducted by “normal people” (with no need for special skills, clothes or equipment), through campaigns, slogans, symbols and a consistent visual identity. It aims to create a positive attitude towards the bicycle and to exhibit the commitment between the promoting entity and the promotion. The bicycle is also a powerful symbol to transition to sustainable and more humanized cities. Brand consistency is important to assure people’s involvement. It can be reinforced through merchandising, with useful and fun objects (locks, bags, water bottles, adhesives). Learn more: Bicycle-friendly communities/businesses/universities - www.bikeleague.org/bfa; Bolzano’s campaign has a bicycle city, developing the brand “Bici Bolzano - Fahrrad Bozen” (logo, slogan, color) as part of the city’s identity - trendy-travel.eu/docs/2010_Bike_mobility_branding_strategy_web0.pdf |
 | Mass Media Campaigns using different media (radio, television, newspapers), segmented to different target-groups (Women, young people, children, minorities, disabled people, students, …). Marketing studies highlight the importance of segmentation instead of unique solutions. Learn more: Århus Bike Bus'ters – municipal programme promoting cycling using mass media. |
 | Bike events and festivals (See Bike events and festivals) |
 | Multimedia and social networks (See Multimedia and social networks) |
1. Impacts
 | Mobility system efficiency Branding promotes a positive bicycle image, contributing to the increase in the bicycle’s modal share, thus promoting less traffic and a greater efficiency of the mobility system. As the number of cyclists increases, it will be necessary for the city to invest in more cycling infrastructures (which is cheaper than building and maintaining road infrastructures). |
 | Livable streets Bicycle promotional campaigns highlight the relationship between cycling and more human cities, promoting livable streets. |
 | Protection of the environment The local environment is improved by the increase in cycling resulting from cycling promotional campaigns. |
 | Inclusion, equity and accessibility By promoting the social acceptance of cycling, promotional campaigns further social equity. However, it is important that these actions segment their target groups and attend to the specificities of more vulnerable groups (disabled people, economically struggling groups, women, young people, children, elderly, minorities). |
 | Safety and comfort Depending on the goal of the promotional activities, they may include the increase in awareness to bicycle safety. |
 | Economic value Bicycle promotional campaigns contribute to energize the economy of urban centres. |
 | Awareness and acceptability Bicycle promotional campaigns, aimed at different target groups, are essential to sensitize and reduce resistance towards cycling. |
Legend:
 | Very positive |  | Positive |  | Neutral |  | Negative |  | Very negative |
2. Barriers
 | Legal The legal framing should be taken into account when developing promotional activities. |
 | Finance A promotional campaign comprehensive enough to be effective can be quite expensive; it may have the contribution of sponsors e/or other backups. |
 | Governance The responsibility generally resides in an authority (municipality), but it can articulate the local, national and international; depending on the actions objectives, implementation can be benefited with the involvement of local bicycle organizations, health organizations, bicycle makers and sellers, mass media, environmental and community groups, schools, local employees. |
 | Political acceptability Depends on the primary objective of the promotional activities and specific local circumstances; bicycle promotion finds resistance in the automobile lobbies. |
 | Public acceptability A comprehensive campaign should be conducted in the scope of other bicycle related measures. In beginner cities, in the early stages of development as a bicycle-friendly city, the first investments should be in infrastructure and education. Only afterwards should there be an investment on promotional campaigns, to present something new and positive to potential cyclists, otherwise it will be rejected by the public. |
 | Technical feasibility Understanding behaviour and its change mechanisms is essential to planning promotional activities, which should be based in market researches and available marketing techniques. |
Legend:
| No barrier |  | Minimum barrier | | Moderate barrier | | Significant barrier |
3. Budget
| Area | Measure | Unit | Cost | Implementation year |
| Aldeias do Xisto (Portugal) | Rendering specialized territorial publicity and marketing technical services | 1 year | 30 000,00 € | 2019 |
| Rendering specialized design services | Development of the eBike AX – bicycle, bags and saddlebags | 10 000,00 € | 2019 | |
| Albergaria-a-Velha Aveiro (Portugal) | Acquiring bicycles in the scope of the project “ Zero waste at the Municipal Market” (Desperdício Zero no Mercado Municipal) | 8 electric traction bicycles (2 cargo bikes, 6 conventional bikes) | 11 300,00 € | 2019 |
| Perugia, Umbria (Italy) | Acquiring specialized communication services to develop a comprehensive informational campaign based on the brand ESC (Easy. Safe. Clean) | 20 000,00€ (approximately) | ||
| Seville, Andalusia (Spain) | Sectorial programmes for bicycle promotion | 3 years and 8 programmes | 287 000,00 € | 2017 |
Case Study 1: Campaign targeting students at the University of Burgos (Spain)
The city of Burgos undertook an awareness raising campaigns with the aim of raising the profile of cycling and defining as the target group students and staff of the University of Burgos. The campaign involved challenging the academic community to creatively show how cycling to the university, instead of using other less sustainable modes, is good for oneself and for the others, allowing to submit a variety of media (travel diaries, photographs, videos, art) and giving the chance of winning one of three tablets. The campaign was mainly run through social media but also gained the attention of other types of media.
Learn more: www.burgosconbici.org/bicicleta-y-universidad/
Impact:
 | Mobility system efficiency Of the 202 interviewed students, 94 changed from private automobile to bicycle and 34 changed from bus to bicycle. Bicycle modal shift increased from 41% to 4,4%. The campaigns also led to more permanent measures, like cycle path recovery and maintenance in the university. Thus, it provided an important impact in improving the efficiency of the local mobility system. |
| Livable streets Without specific data, but the increase in bicycle modal shift tends to promote livelier streets. In this case, the impact area would extend past he university and affect other areas in the city. |
| Protection of the environment Without specific data, but the increase in bicycle modal shift and reducing motorized traffic would directly contribute to the improvement of the local environment. |
 | Inclusion, equity and accessibility No impact. |
 | Safety and comfort No impact. |
 | Economic value No impact. |
 | Awareness and acceptability The campaign attracted the attention of mass media, leading to three news articles, which has a great impact on the overall awareness towards the bicycle. Using social networks to involve young people proved itself to be effective, but very demanding in terms of resources because it demanded daily updates to maintain interest. |
Case Study 2: Campaign “Bell ringing to the shop” (Belgium)
The “Met Belgerinkel naar de Winkel” campaign (in English, “bell ringing to the shop”) aims to convince the public to do their daily shopping by bicycle (instead of by car) and choosing a local merchant from their neighbourhood. The campaign starts by raising the support of the local traders, who increase each year. In 2009 the campaign developed new concept and image trough an exclusive side saddlebag, created by a Belgium designer as a fashion “must”, attracting even more participants. Each time the clients shop by bicycle, participant traders stamp the client’s card. The complete card offers a big discount to by the fashionable bag.
Learn more: www.eltis.org/discover/case-studies/belgiums-campaign-get-people-shopping-bikes; www.bondbeterleefmilieu.be
Similar initiatives: www.agence-ecomobilite.fr/velos-de-courses (France); www.ctc.org.uk/case-study/shopping-bike-results (U.K.)
Impact:
| Mobility system efficiency The results from the action’s accompanying questionnaire shows 28% of the participants cycle more due to the scope of the campaign, cycling many miles that otherwise would be covered by motorized vehicles. The increase in bicycle’s modal shift has a direct impact in reducing the number of cars and road traffic. |
 | Livable streets Each client helps to bring more oxygen and life to the streets. |
 | Protection of the environment The campaign lead to the increase in bicycle modal share, which directly promotes the protection of the environment. |
| Inclusion, equity and accessibility The campaign reduces possible prejudice towards bicycles and makes them attractive to different socioeconomic groups. However, to directly promote social equity, it should consider the specificities of more vulnerable groups (disabled people, economically struggling groups, women, young people, children, elderly, minorities). |
| Safety and comfort No impact. |
 | Economic value The clients traveling by bicycle promote local commerce. |
| Awareness and acceptability The action makes the bicycle more attractive and reduces resistance towards it. |
Legend:
| Very positive | | Positive | | Neutral | | Negative | | Very negative |
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TRENDY TRAVEL (2010). Improvement and promotion of bike mobility: a specific marketing strategy – The example of Bolzano/Bozen. Bolzano: Ökoinstitut Südtirol/Alto Adige. Available at: http://trendy-travel.eu/docs/2010_Bike_mobility_branding_strategy_web0.pdf.
Other resources:
TRENDY TRAVEL project – promoting sustainable travel (and cycling) by utilizing emotional approaches like: Storytelling & Rituals around bicycle; Raising the image of cycling; Good design; Touching parents through children – www.trendy-travel.eu.