Toogethr carpool app incorporates game mechanics to foster a sharing lifestyle
Gamification put to use to build trust and increase responsiveness
05 JUNE 2013, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Summary
Toogethr, the Dutch startup with the mission to make travel more sustainable and affordable, announced today at LeWeb'13 London the incorporation of game challenges into its Toogethr carpool app. The aim is to motivate and stimulate its users to share more rides, more often. By gaining top of mind awareness, carpooling positions itself as a viable day-to-day travel and transport option. New challenges can be adopted by regional organizations, companies and event organizers as a paid feature.Gamification - the application of game mechanisms in non-gaming environments - is an effective method to drive stronger user engagement and to change daily routines. Today, Toogethr has announced the integration of game mechanics into its carpool app with the aim to build trust and increase responsiveness and sharing behavior. The app can support multiple game challenges at the same time and users can enroll in multiple challenges. A challenge shares a common goal for its players and consists among others of a leaderboard, physical incentives, and badges. Toogethr believes that other Sharing Economy leaders can benefit from applying gamification concepts to their services as it helps building critical mass.
Using the new features of the Toogethr app, a challenge has been created with the goal to reduce congestion in the Rotterdam area. This challenge is executed in cooperation with De Verkeersonderneming Rotterdam, a coalition between the city of Rotterdam, Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment, and the Port of Rotterdam. The challenge runs until the end of 2014 and incentives include among others a Tesla S for a weekend, offered by partners. This challenge (in Dutch) goes by the name of Samenspitsen: a concatenation of samen (together) and spits (rush or peak hour).
An update of the Toogethr app will soon be generally available. The Toogethr app for Android, iOS and mobile web app remains free of charge. Game challenges are available effective immediately as a paid feature.
Quotes
"The Sharing Economy should provide viable and accessible solutions for our day-to-day routines. This won't happen overnight. Top of mind awareness will strongly increase by adopting game mechanics, as it brings more humane and engaging elements into a service. Toogethr believes that services in the Sharing Economy can benefit tremendously from gamification." Martin Voorzanger - founder of Toogethr
About Toogethr
Met Toogethr wordt samenrijden leuker én makkelijker.
We weten eigenlijk allemaal dat samenrijden beter is. Beter voor het vinden van een parkeerplaats. Beter voor de file. En dankzij minder uitstoot beter voor het milieu. Maar toch doen we het niet, want het is gedoe en te veel geregel.
Daarom is er nu Toogethr.
Share a ride, Toogethr. Download the app!