Marketers of commercial share schemes such as car sharing services should focus on cost and availability rather than popularity or environmental benefits.
A study by the University of Pittsburgh showed promoting a share service’s popularity could have a negative effect on consumers by giving the impression there are fewer products available.
The perceived availability of a product was the primary factor for consumers when choosing which share service to use, as well as saving money.
Customers also didn’t want to share with people similar to themselves as they were likely to have similar needs, resulting in product scarcity. For example, students didn’t want to share bicycles with other students, because they were likely to have similar schedules and need the product at the same time.
Byron Smith
PhD candidate in Christian Ethics at University of Edinburgh
Since the study has not in fact been published yet, this press release does not particularly help in evaluating the argument and data referred to.
That customers might currently focus on availability and cost doesn't mean that a smart car-share company might not try to expand their potential pool of customers by teaching people to think of car-share services in other terms as well (such as more responsible resource consumption or other social benefits). Given the track record of marketing in changing social attitudes towards all kinds of activities and goods, why become the servant of current popular opinion at this point?