Visual Communication in Shared Mobility Systems as an Opportunity for Recognition and Competitiveness in Smart Cities

Abstract

Due to the intensive development of urbanization and digitization, the number of smart cities in the world is growing. Along with their exposure, more and more challenges are facing the service providers of the various types of systems offered in their area. These types of services include shared mobility systems that, as an alternative to transport by own vehicle, are becoming one of the leading promoted forms of mobility. Because of the prioritization of shared mobility solutions, more and more operators appear on the smart city markets, which is associated with many challenges related to the increased competition among service providers. One of the challenges is the appropriate visibility of the brand and vehicles in urban transport systems. This aspect, despite its high applicability, constitutes a research gap among world studies. Aiming to fill this gap, this article was dedicated to the issues of perception of visual communication by operators of shared mobility services. As part of the research, an expert study was conducted among representatives of shared mobility services operating in Poland. The expert survey was conducted with the Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) technique. The results of the research show that visual communication is not used quite correctly by operators. Although operators use single visual communication practices, overall consistency is lacking, which would add value to the brand. This article supports operators looking to expand their shared mobility services. What is more, it is also a response to the research gap regarding visual communication and its perception from the point of view of smart cities.