How to Put this Tool into Action in Your
Community:
Implementation Techniques
Let's get started! The first step in organizing and promoting Bike to Work Day events in your community is to contact a local or regional bicycle advocacy group in your area in order to 1) find out what Bike to Work Day events are currently planned, if any, and 2) discuss how to coordinate a high visibility campaign to expand Bike to Work Day activities where you live. (California residents can jump to the
'Who You Gonna
Call' section for the contact information of bicycle advocacy organizations throughout the state that organize Bike to Work Day events in their respective regions. In the Bay Area,
RIDES is the regional coordinator of Bike to Work Day events).
What are the key issues? Key issues to discuss and plan for in coordination with your local bicycle advocacy group are the following:
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Publicizing and marketing the event(s) |
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Setting up a webpage that provides event information & registration |
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Involving employers, local media, community leaders, and elected officials |
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Securing promotional materials/giveaways to provide incentives to cyclists |
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Scouting out locations for and setting up energizer stations |
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Conducting outreach to participants to help ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable ride |
California Bike Commute
provides numerous tips and resources to help address these issues in planning for and promoting successful Bike to Work events (or you can jump to the 'Dig A Little Deeper' section for some of these resources). Four of the most important issues (recruiting sponsors, involving employers, reaching out to participants, and conducting publicity) are discussed in greater detail below.
Recruiting sponsors to help defray costs. Local companies and retail outlets are a good source of sponsorships for Bike to Work Day. Sponsors can provide items to stock the various energizer stations throughout your community (such as bagels, bottled water, and nutritional snacks or sports bars). Local transit agencies and pedestrian and bicycle advocacy organizations can provide promotional materials about their activities, either in a canvas 'goodie bag' that can be given away to participants or at a table at an energizer station.
Some Bike to Work Day coordinators have reported that finding sponsors can be the hardest part of organizing a Bike to Work Day event, so you'll want to pay particular attention to this aspect of planning. Sending an introductory letter along with some Bike to Work Day promotional brochures is a good way to make contact with businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations that might help sponsor the event (jump to the
'Dig A Little
Deeper' section for some resources that you can use to recruit sponsors). Phone calls are a good follow-up to the letter, reintroducing yourself and going over the benefits of the event for participants, the community, and sponsors. Selling points for potential sponsors include:
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The advertising potential from putting the sponsor's materials in goodie bags for
participants |
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One-on-one marketing and outreach opportunities for organizations that sponsor energizer
stations |
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The good publicity that sponsors will receive in the local
media |
Additionally, sponsors often help pay for canvas bags or t-shirts with a Bike to Work Day logo to give out to participants, which serves to further publicize event and provides incentives to riders. If you can't find local sponsors for these kinds of items,
BikeLink
has offered t-shirts with a Bike to Work Day logo for sale for past events in California. While riders can purchase these t-shirts for themselves, event organizers can buy several t-shirts and resell them to sponsors or participants at a slightly higher price to help defray the costs of organizing local events (in 2003, these sold for $14 each, or $9 each for 50 or more).
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Bicycle commuters check out a sponsor's table at one of the 'Energizer Stations' for the 1999 Bike to Work Day in Oakland. (Source:
Celebrating
Oakland) |
Involving employers. Getting employers involved in Bike to Work Day can help you recruit participants and raise the visibility of events in your community. Some ideas for how employers can promote Bike to Work Day events (and support the bicycling commuting in general) include the following:
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Sponsor a Bike to Work Day event. First and foremost, employers should be encouraged to sponsor their own Bike to Work events. The Employers Guide provides an overview of how a business can sponsor an event for their employees (for printable, hard copy version of this resource, go to the
'Dig a Little
Deeper' section). Also, this Sample Newsletter Article that can be included in any company's newsletter, website, and/or e-mail communications with its employees in order to spread the word among potential participants. |
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Prior to the event, hold a workplace bike clinic. Companies that are interested in educating employees about bike commuting prior to Bike to Work Day can invite speakers who can address issues, such as: how to ride safely in traffic, proper gear for bike commuting, how to perform light repairs, and how to develop a good bike route. Companies can find a good instructor by asking the local bike store if they have anyone available, by contacting the local Parks and Recreation Department to see if they offer such classes, or by calling the local bicycle advocacy organization for suggestions. (California residents can jump to the
'Who You Gonna
Call' section for the contact information of bicycling organizations in their region). |
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Encourage bicycle commuting all year long. One way to do this is by having monthly 'Bicyclists Breakfasts' to promote team spirit and keep cyclists riding beyond Bike to Work Day. Several employers have found that organizing a 'Bike Club' and sponsoring quarterly meetings is a good way to introduce cyclists to each other and give potential bicycle commuters a forum for learning about more about how they can start bicycling to work. Bike club meeting topics could range from "How to fix a flat in ten minutes" to "Bike commuter fashion tips." Whatever the meeting topic, bike clubs helps bring bicyclists in a company together, gives them a chance to share information, and allows novices to find potential riding partners. Companies can also invite a local advocacy group to host a table at employee transportation fairs. For example, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition distributes information, administers a safety quiz, raffles prizes, and even provides valet parking at a BART station. Most bicycling advocacy groups are non-profit and membership based, so a donation or corporate membership to the group could be an appropriate gesture. |
Participant outreach. To help ensure that participants have a safe and enjoyable ride to work, make sure to provide resources that offer online guidance and advice. In the days leading up to the event, you should encourage participants to scout out their route, to take their bicycle for a test spin, and to have comfortable clothing and shoes that they can wear while cycling. This kind of
Bike to Work Day Checklist
and
bicycle riding guide can be provided to
cyclists online (or jump to the
'Dig a Little
Deeper' section for printable, hard copy versions of these resources that can be distributed by employers or by mail). Additional information that you can provide to participants about Bike to Work Day and bicycle commuting is also contained in the
Quick Overview
of Bike to Work Day and the
Bike Commuting Fact Sheet
(both of these resources can also be found in
the 'Dig a
Little Deeper' section).
Promoting Bike to Work Day in the local media. Increase the visibility of Bike to Work Day by working with local media to publicize events in your community. Several ideas for developing a good working relationship with the local media and promoting Bike to Work Day are in local media outlets are discussed below (from
Selling Bike to Work Day to the Local Media by Dan Gindling of RoDan Public Relations and available
online).
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Developing a media list. Targeting your public relations campaign to the proper media is half the battle. If you are sending out letters, call the organization ahead of time to find out who the contact person is. Your local library should have media directories in which to obtain media information for your area. Make sure to distribute your press release to a particular person. For newspapers target the Metro Editor; magazines the Managing Editor; television stations the Assignment Editor; radio the News Director. Also, if certain reporters have produced bicycling stories in the past make sure they are on your media list, as well. In addition, make sure you hit all print publications 'Calendar of Events' sections. |
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Developing a media strategy. Public relations (PR) is just like advertising. However, instead of the general public you are trying to reach editors and reporters. And as with advertising, repetition can get you everywhere. The more times an editor or reporter sees your message the more effective your PR campaign will be. So begin three to four weeks out and produce a weekly press release, each from a different story angle. For instance, one could announce the event, another could focus on specific bicycle commuters in the city, another about Bike to Work Day pit stops. An editor or reporter seeing your message three or four times instead of just once adds credibility to your event. It will force the media to take notice. See the Media Schedule discussion
(below) for tips on when to contact the media. After you have sent out your press releases it is time to get on the telephone. An effective PR campaign means personal contact between you and the media. For suggestions on how to be most effective when calling local media representatives on the telephone, jump to
Five Etiquette Tips for Calling Local
Media. |
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Media schedule. The media blitz can begin in early February of each year, three months before mid-May Bike to Work Day. Below is a sample schedule of things to do in chronological order:
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Two
to three months before the event.
Distribute the first press release to
all local daily and weekly
publications, radio and television
media. |
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Two weeks before the event. Distribute second press release to all local daily and weekly publications, radio and television media. Telephone major newspapers for possible editorial before the event. |
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One week before the event. Distribute third press release to all local daily and weekly publications, radio and television media. |
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Three days before the event. Telephone all major media especially television stations. |
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The day before the event. Fax or e-mail a 'Media Alert' piece to major media (especially major daily newspapers and television stations). This piece should include what, where, when, and why.
Follow up with phone calls to the major daily newspapers and television stations. |
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The day after the event or day of the event. Distribute post event press release to all media. |
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Writing and sending a press release. For help writing a press release to help generate publicity for the event, check out this
Sample Press Release
that you can modify to suit your needs. A special word on sending a press release: most media outlets will take faxes, and all will take hard copies by mail. However, you should be careful with sending press releases by e-mail: unless a media person specifically requests that you send it by e-mail, don't do it or it will in all likelihood be deleted without being read. |
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By promoting Bike to Work Day events to local media outlets, you'll help raise the visibility of bicycling in your community year round. (Source:
San Francisco Bicycle
Coalition) |
  
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