Zero-Emission-Mobility – Human Powered Mobility with Fun

It is an objective of the German government to reduce CO2-emissions in the field of traffic. One step towards this aim is to promote cycling and walking especially for short distances. The Project is developing a target group specific communication campaign to motivate people to cover these distances more often by foot or bike. The campaign which will be launched in different cities of Germany aims at stimulating attitudes which combine zero emission mobility with fun and style. Communication agencies are going to develop a blue-print concept of a campaign which could be adapted by different cities. Within the framework of another competition German cities have the possibility to apply for financial means to conduct an individualised campaign for and by themselves.

The tasks of ISOE in this project are:

1. to review different scientific approaches to find factors of how people can be influenced by means of communication to change their travel behaviour patterns. Not only psychological and social-psychological approaches are to be considered but also approaches of communication and media theory.
2. to recommend suitable target groups.

The overall results which were presented in a project meeting on December 12, 2008 in Berlin are:
a) If we try to change behaviour via communication we have to consider some main factors - namely:

• The benefit in large and for individual target groups
• Norms and attitudes i.e. norms associated with the project aim and attitudes of the target groups
• Emotions and affects evoked by the activity of cycling or walking with regard to specific target groups
• Action / Behaviour

b) In summary, the process of persuasive communication encompasses three important steps leading to behavioural change: LEARN (Information) / FEEL (Emotion)  / DO (Action). We found out though that these are not taking place in a given order. With respect to some target groups the process follows the sequence DO FEEL LEARN.

For example: Especially for “The Fun and Performance Oriented” the starting point for taking a bike to work might not be concernment about the climate change but the purchase of a new exciting bicycle. Whereas “The Nature- and Outdoor-Oriented” who had already thought about going to work by bike rather than by car might be reached by arguments bringing forward the positive effects on nature conservation.

• Imprint
• I
• Webmaster