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.
Read more at University of Pittsburgh