Successful PR campaigns involve plenty of strategizing, planning and detailed tracking. They also require something many city drivers know a lot about: being in the right place at the right time. Zipcar is just such an example.
During a winter when many cities in the northeast were hammered with snow, urbanites behind the wheel were left with fewer and fewer choices for parking; and those who were lucky enough to find spots weren’t giving them up easily.
Boston was especially hard hit. In a city where “space savers” are very much a part of urban culture – chairs, floor lamps, Elvis busts, whatever keeps a spot reserved for the person who spent hours shoveling it out – this winter brought out the abominable snowman in everyone. By late February, city officials announced that the Boston DPW would be removing space savers, upping the already heated war on parking spots.
Enter Zipcar.
The ride sharing service recently announced a planned increase in its Boston fleet, a move triggered by a new initiative called DriveBoston, whose aim is to promote ride sharing. As part of the DriveBoston plan, the city has pledged to make over 200 parking permits available for ride sharing companies.
In a surprising turn, Car2Go did not submit a bid for the spots. As the largest free-floating car service business in the country, they were expected to jump into the mix. Their absence leaves plenty of room for Boston-based Zipcar, who is currently positioned to take the majority of the permits. Bid winners will be formally announced this summer.
Which means that by next winter, frustrated drivers in Boston may see a significant drop in the number of available parking spots. Not great PR for the city. But, those urbanites who embrace the ride share movement will have a clear choice laid out for them – Zipcar. The PR playing field is wide open for them. One might even go so far as to say they have a space saved.
We are going to keep watch on Zipcar in Boston between this spring and next winter to see how they utilize this key PR opportunity. Studying the moves of creative companies within unique scenarios can provide lessons we can all use as we work to promote our businesses.
Getting a parking spot in any city during the winter takes patience, vigilance, a keen eye, and the instinct to strike when you find yourself in the right place at the right time. In that sense, it is not unlike PR. To find your best opportunities, it can help to have many eyes surveying the landscape. When running a business leaves you with less time than you’d like to keep watch, that’s where we come in. Let us keep the pulse of your target market so that when the next spot opens, it’s yours.
-BML
