D16 - Collaborative ConsumptionReturn

In the sharing economy, P2P platforms must identify the target audience for their marketing campaigns to spend their marketing budgets effectively. The challenge is to convince those who are afraid of sharing with strangers. We analyse participant behaviour by testing whether people's willingness to participate differs depending on whether they shared with known or unknown people. Our study focuses not only on sharing with strangers and exploring this phenomenon but also on sharing with people we know to verify that these people are generally willing to share idle assets. We define four groups of sharing economy participants depending on whether they know the counterparty: (1) active participants afraid of sharing with strangers, (2) active participants indifferent, (3) active participants preferring to share with strangers, and (4) inactive participants. Generation Z will most likely share their idle assets with strangers, while Generation Y does not mind who they share with. Generation X prefers to share with strangers but is also the most inactive. The demand side is more complicated: Generation Z does not care who they demand from, but other generations’ preferences depend on the asset type. Again, Generation X is the most inactive. We assume that a generational perspective is essential for P2P marketing mix settings. We summarise new findings from not only a theoretical but also a practical perspective.
Implications for Central European audience: We provide a new perspective on sharing idle assets in the context of sharing with strangers. We emphasize a generational perspective and use cluster analysis to define four groups of participants from the perspective of sharing with strangers. P2P platforms operating in the sharing economy can gain more insights into Czech customers' consumer behaviour depending on whether they know the counterparty. The results can also benefit managers in other Central European countries. The findings can also contribute to the theoretical knowledge of the sharing economy and its implications for reducing marketing costs.

The sharing economy is an interesting socio-economic system that has been studied by many researchers worldwide. It is an area that will affect the patterns of behaviour, processes and thinking experienced in various fields. The sharing economy is specific in that some people who have an asset they do not fully use may be willing to share it with consumers who do not have the asset but need it for a specific reason but are unable to or do not want to buy it. Platforms operating in the sharing economy need to know whom to target with their marketing strategy to spend marketing costs effectively. We used cluster analysis, a chi-square test, a Kruskal-Wallis test and descriptive analysis of data collected from 684 respondents across Generations X, Y and Z within the Czech Republic. We identified who constitutes the general supply of and demand for unused assets. While the willingness to supply prevails among Generation Y, the willingness to demand prevails among Generation Z. For Generation X, the willingness to supply and the willingness to demand are almost equal. Using cluster analysis, we defined three basic groups of participants in the sharing economy: double-sided active participants, one-sided active participants and inactive participants. We summarise new findings from not only a theoretical but also a practical perspective.
Implications for Central European audience: Platforms active in the sharing economy may better understand Czech customers regarding their supply of and demand for unused assets. The results could also be useful for managers in other countries of the Central European region. The findings may help enrich the theoretical knowledge of the sharing economy and its impact on marketing. Platforms can save money on marketing communications by focusing their marketing communications on a specific generation.