Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
km p.a.
OWN CAR AND FLINKSTER
Own car Germany-wide tariff Local tariff
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
M
o
t
n
h
l
y
c
o
s
t
i
n
km p.a.
OWN CAR AND FLINKSTER
Own car Germany-wide tariff Local tariff
Assumptions:
Gas price 1,60
Gas consump. 7,0l/100km
Av. Speed 50km/h
Av. standing time 0,5h
Av. Trip length 50km
Assumptions:
Gas price 1,60
Gas consump. 7,0l/100km
Av. Speed 25km/h
Av. standing time 0,5h
Av. Trip length 30km
28
7 Conclusion and Outlook
7.1 Conclusion
To conclude for this paper Flinkster it is worthwhile looking back at the communication
section and one of the central messages of Flinkster that in our eyes does indeed
differentiate Flinkster quite strongly from other car-sharing offers:
Flinkster is for everyone
In the convenience chapter we pointed out some doubt about this message. Nevertheless
this critique most probably applies to a minority of potential customers. In fact, Flinkster
offers an unusual variety that matches the individual situation in many aspects. The car
fleet is adapted to every purpose from transporting furniture to simply moving oneself from
A to B (and back unfortunately). Also different tariffs try to match different usage patterns
or living situations financially and with regard to convenience. Longer journeys are also
possible by the daily or weekly tariffs. The ubiquity of the offer is another aspect that sets
Flinskter apart from its competitors.
The other side of the medal shows the major drawbacks of Flinkster, to large parts located
in the convenience and customer cost part. The station-based approach necessitates a much
longer way of approaching the car. Prior planning and lacking spontaneity require
tremendous behavioral changes if not factual than at least psychological. In the end the
necessity of one-way drives adds to the inflexibility of the service. All those aspects in fact
neglect some parts of the central message of Flinkster to be for everyone.
As we learned in the communication chapter the communication of sustainability by
Flinkster is rather cautious. In fact there are more viable alternatives with regard to
sustainability.
For this reasons we developed future ideas for Flinkster to first improve some of the
lacking convenience aspects, so that the current central message holds more substance and
seoncly to improve the sustainability of the service to perhaps be finally able to
communicate some sustainability.
29
7.2 Future ideas to remedy Flinksters problems
Some obvious measures to improve convenience would be to increase the amount of the
most demanded car models and ask the current customers which models they would like to
drive. Placing more cars in the most demanded areas, would have similar effects.
Also the possibility of parking the car wherever you want within some beforehand
established city limits, would help in improving convenience. However all those measures
would lead to higher cost and in the end most probably to higher prices. Since the low
prices are one of the major competitive advantages of Flinkster (Atlas, 2011), we
concentrated on solutions that do not require too much financial effort.
For instance to remedy the lack of spontaneity of the current service a solution to this may
be to attach QR-Codes to each car and make it possible to scan this with a smartphone.
Therefore, booking this exact car right away if it is free, may add a lot to the convenience
of the service, since some of the need of prior booking would be reduced. Also a shorter
compulsory booking time of 15 minutes would make the service viable for more short-term
drives as for instance a drive to pick up packages at a Post-station.
An addition to the current Flinkster-App that would integrate Call-a-Bike, Flinkster and the
trains would make several applications possible, which would add to sustainability. For
instance it would be possible to calculate the most sustainable way to reach a destination
and to promote combined offers of train, Flinkster and Call-a-Bike, depending on distance
and personal mobility needs, thus not only adding to sustainability but also to convenience.
Antoehr emans to improve sustainbility would be an even older age of car fleet. Offering at
least some older cars that due to their age offer better total lifetime emissions, would reduce
primarily production emissions of car. A free choice for customers to select the car that is
more sustainable or take newer cars, may also be a means to not reduce the lifestyle aspect
of Flinkster with this measure.
Figure 13 QR-Code
i
List of references
ATLAS (2011): Atlas Studie Car Sharing Anbieter 2011. Online at:
http://www.flinkster.de/fileadmin/www.flinkster.%20de/redaktion/pdf/_5171399.pdf (as of
01.06.2012).
AXA VERKEHRSSICHERHEIT (2009): Statistics about driving behavior in Germany. Online at:
http://www.axa.de/servlet/PB/show/1188882/AXA_VerkehrssicherheitsReport_2009_Studi
energebnisse.pdf (as of 01.06.2012).
BELZ, F.-M./ PEATTIE, K. (2009): Sustainability Marketing: A global Perspective,
Chichester: Wiley.
BLAUER ENGEL (2012): Third party label for Flinkster. Online at: http://www.blauer-
engel.de/de/produkte_marken/vergabegrundlage.php?id=208 (as of 01.06.2012).
CAR-SHARING PROJECT (2011): Video on Convenience of car sharing. Sustainability
Marketing and Innovation Project. TU Mnchen. Online at: https://vimeo.com/34048660
(as of 01.06.2012).
DEUTSCHE BAHN (2012): Deutsche Bahn Press Release on 13.05.2012. Online at:
http://www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse/
presseinformationen/pi_it/2567680/ubd20120530.html (as of 01.06.2012).
DEUTSCHE BAHN STRATEGIE (2012): Deutsche Bahn sustainability strategy claim. Online
at: http://www.deutschebahn.com/de/nachhaltigkeit/strategie.html (as of 01.06.2012).
DEUTSCHES KFZ GEWERBE (2010): General Statistics of German Car Industry. Online at:
http://www.kfzgewerbe.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Presse/Zahlen_Fakten/Zahlen%20und%2
0Fakten%202010.pdf (as of 01.06.2012).
DRIVENOW CAR SHARING (2012): So funktionierts. Online at: http://www.drive-
now.com/so-funktionierts/ (as of 01.06.2012).
FAZ (2012): Elektroautos mit kostrom am Bahnhof, 14.06.2011. Online at:
http://www.faz.net/frankfurter-allgemeine-zeitung/elektroautos-mit-oekostrom-am-
bahnhof-11141938.html (as of 01.06.2012).
ii
FLINKSTER (2012): Flinkster Partners, 15.06.2012:
http://www.flinkster.de/index.php?id=606&f=3 (as of 15.06.2012).
FLINKSTER CAMPUS (2012): Flinkster Campus program. Online at: http://www.flinkster-
campus.de/ (as of 01.06.2012).
FLINKSTER FACEBOOK PAGE (2012): User opinions on social media sources. Online at:
https://www.facebook.com/flinkster.de (as of 01.06.2012).
GOURVILLE, J.-t./ (2006): Eager Seller & Stony Buyers: Understanding the psychology of
product adoption, Harvard Business Review.
INTERVIEW 2012: Own Interview with Oscar Perez, Marketing Manager Flinkster,
28.06.2012.
NCAP (2012): Testergebnisse nach Marken. Online at : http://www. de.euroncap.com (as of
01.06.2012).
STATTAUTO (2012): Stattauto Partners. Online at: http://stattauto-muenchen.de/#flinkster
(as of 01.06.2012). ANDROIDZOOM (2011): Forum: Opinions about App. Online at:
http://es.androidzoom.com /android _applications/transportation/flinkster_backd.html (as of
01.06.2012).
TESTBERICHTE.DE (2010): Opinions and reviews of Flinkster an. Online at:
http://www.testberichte.de /r/produkt-meinung/deutsche-bahn-flinkster-202171-1.html (as
of 01.06.2012).
TOYTOWN (2012): Forum: Opinions and reviews of Flinkster an. Online at:
http://www.toytown germany.com/lofi/index.php/t4143.html (as of 01.06.2012).
VERKEHRSMITTELVERGLEICH (2012): Verkehrsmittelvergleich 2012, Online at:
http://www.verkehrsmittelvergleich.de (as of 01.06.2012).
ZUKUNFT MOBILITT (2011): Examplary calculation of the real cost of driving. Online at:
http://www.zukunft-mobilitaet.net/2487/strassenverkehr/die-wahren-kosten-eines-
kilometers-autofahrt/ (as of 01.06.2012).
iii
Additional references
http://carshare-d.blogspot.de/2009/03/flinkster-in-der-realitat-angekommen.html
Comparative of Flinkster and other car sharing services in Stuttgart and Kln. 2009
http://mrknister.bplaced.net/wordpress/2012/02/ohne-eigenes-auto-mobil/ Radio Interview
about Car Sharing. February 2012
http://www.bahn.de/bahnbonus Bahn.Bonus points. 2012
http://www.bahn.de/p/view/bahncard/bahnbonus/bahnbonus_praemien_uebersicht.shtml
Bahn.Bonus prizes. 2012
http://www.ciao.de/flinkster_de__8115963 Flinkster in Stuttgart. Opinion. April 2009
http://www.ciao.de/Car_Sharing_74530_3 Car sharing. Opinions. Different years.
http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/marktplatz/1650689/ Comparative of Flinkster and
Cambio. January 2012
http://www.flinkster.de/fileadmin/www.flinkster.de/redaktion/images/PDF/Flyer_Englisch.
pdf Flinksters official brochure. 2012
http://www.flinkster.de/fileadmin/www.flinkster.de/redaktion/images/PDF/Kundeninfo_Fli
nkster.pdf Flinkster services brochure. October 2010
http://www.sparbote.de/23391/flinkster-carsharing-der-db-im-test/ Flinkster review.
October 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exmhxTapJCY&feature=related Flinkster. How to use
it. July 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQSSQomJUxY Testbote.de. DB Flinkster Carsharing
im Test. October 2010
iv
Eidesstattliche Erklrung
Wir versichern hiermit an Eides statt, dass wir die von uns eingereichte Arbeit bzw. die von
uns namentlich gekennzeichneten Teile selbstndig verfasst und ausschlielich die
angegebenen Hilfsmittel benutzt habe. Die Arbeit wurde bisher keiner Prfungsbehrde
vorgelegt und auch noch nicht verffentlicht.
Mnchen, den 12. Juni 2014
_______________________
Alejandro Aznar Argelich
_______________________
Stephanie Leopold
_______________________
Mark-Felix Schtz