Promotion Ideas
Ideas for Promoting Biking to Work in Your Organization
Everyday is a good day for encouraging and promoting bicycling everywhere, but often the most organized efforts are done in conjunction with a Bike To Work Day, Bike Week or Bike Month. Below is a list of potential activities you and your organization can do to help promote bicycling.
Hang Bike Month and Bike to Work Day Posters in Visible Places
Have fun hanging bike month posters wherever possible -- hallways, lunch, rooms, elevators, bathroom doors -- wherever people tend to congregate or walk by. Make a game of it by asking others to hang a poster in an unlikely, but useful place.
Get the Word Out
Display a Bike Month t-shirt with bike map, balloons, etc.; include articles about bicycle commuting in your company newsletter; make presentations at staff meetings; encourage participation through memos, e-mail, phone messages and announcements.
Technology Talks
E-mails are a great way to distribute quick and timely information. Use some of the Bike to Work tips to attract attention, or dream up your own. Give people reminders for events, lunches, activities you plan or hear about. Help people remember to register for Bike Month.
Make It Easy To Participate
- Identify secure bike parking options.
- Get management involved - recruit top-level individuals to ride and encourage others.
- Encourage co-workers to register and participate. Provide low-cost incentives to participants
Bike Commuter Fair
Provide displays of commuter information and commuter benefits, give out maps, coordinate a "bike buddies" program and have a bike repair station.
Start the Day Right - Host a Bike to Work Day Station
Host a morning "pit-stop". Energize your employees as they arrive to work with fresh coffee, bagels, fruit or juice.
The easiest level of organization is a simple "rest-stop" or "check-point" with a friendly smile and encouragement. The "rest-stop" can grow from there to include swag, treats, local bike maps, tire pumps and/or a repair stand and tools for basic adjustments to make participants ride more pleasurable.
Collecting some give-aways is always a good strategy for generating additional interest in the station and the event: beverages, food energy bars, reflective stickers, canvas bike bags, sun block samples, water bottles, patch kits, safety literature, local bike maps, etc.
Finish the Day with Ease
Invite riders to an after work/before commute snack of juice, cheese and crackers. Or invite coworkers to bike to an after work happy hour at the local brewpub!
Commuter Convoys or Bike Buddies
Encourage the development of "commuter partners" - riders to pair up and commute together on their bikes (these can be paired by experience, route, location, or whatever other designation you choose). List partners and routes on company intranet or bulletin boards so others can participate. You could also create a mentoring program which pairs experienced bicycle commuters with people who are just getting started. The mentor helps on topics such as: finding a route, strategy for dressing to cycle in different weather and lighting conditions, bike storage, clean-up at work, get work clothes back and forth, etc.
Create various challenges in your workplace such as
- Older employees vs. younger
- Management vs. staff
- Department vs. department
- Collect a small dollar amount or prize from each department or participant. The winners get to split the pot. Other prize versions could be time off, lunch served by the department or individuals with the least number of days; a donated prize from a local restaurant or store, etc.
Create fun and easy awards for special achievements
- Riding every day of the week
- Riding the longest distance
- Riding the shortest distance
- Always wearing a helmet
- Rider with best decorated bicycle
- Distribute "I biked to work today" stickers
Drawings for Prizes
Solicit local businesses for give-away rewards (restaurant certificates, movie passes, ice cream cone certificates). For everyone who bicycle commutes, put their names in a hat and draw daily or weekly prizes. You can also solicit staff members to provide prizes such as a plate of home cooked brownies, running an errand, making the morning coffee for a week, etc.
Stage a Commuter Race
A bicyclist, transit user and single occupancy vehicle start from an outlying neighborhood and head for a final destination in the central business district at rush hour to see who is fastest.
Use the Lunch Hour
Develop brown-bag lunches during the month to discuss bicycle commuting tips. Share this time to watch a bike maintenance video, or review a book. Ask one of your experienced riders to help present information on subjects such as:
- What to wear
- How to select a route
- How to freshen up at the work place
- What to do with "helmet hair"
- Bike maintenance
Commuters of the Year
Nominate outstanding users of alternative transportation and encourage co-workers to vote for the Commuter of the Year. Develop categories such as
- Longest commute
- Most consistent commuter
- Commuter to ride in the worst weather
- Rookie commuter, etc.
Promote Family Biking
Host a bicycle rodeo for co-workers' children. Rodeos are fun to present and a great way for kids to learn the rules of the road, balance and other important riding skills.
Bicycle Fashion Show
Ask people to wear their craziest biking outfit, then judge the winners for a prize. Instead of the craziest outfit, select a theme of your own choosing -- warmest bike outfit, coolest, most colorful, safest, most layered outfit, etc.
Helmet Decorating Contest
Ask co-workers to bring in their old helmets and decorate them for a prize. Provide simple craft materials such as glue, crepe paper, sparkles, pipe cleaners, etc. Display the winning helmet in a prominent location.
Bicycle Film Event
Host an event and show a bicycle-related movie. The same films can be shown year after year and still draw a crowd.
Theme Rides
Schedule a series of themed group rides such as: Public Art; Bakeries; Moonlight or Midnight Madness; Local Historic; Architectural (i.e. solar homes); New Riders Ride; Romantic Spots For Bicyclist, etc.
