Promoting Cycling

All his comes with the precursor of imho….

• worth perhaps group 'ideas' around a few key themes (though I don't know why I'm about to presumptuously suggest to a lawyer the benefits of structured thinking....)
  
• The principle key theme here is not to change behaviour, but to change consideration for cycling. To change the former is easy, you force people to do it, but they need to want to do it.
  
  

This is absolutely right. Merely extolling the virtues of cycling is often a turn-off for people. It makes them think that it must be hard and unpleasant--the 'charity principle'--sit in a bath of baked beans or do a really hard, horrible bike ride to do your bit for charity and be virtuous.

• They also need to understand why. The sell needs to start with it fitting with the wider direction of the firm (responsible business, low carbon, good for its staff) and the link through HR to being more ‘responsible’ than others in the sector, as a win on the recruitment front. Great earlier points here re: use of cycling couriers for example
  
  
  

Beware of pushing the environmental angle--most people don't care about this at all. Sad but true. I always stress that 'the environment' is really one's immediate personal environment, not some abstract stuff about carbon calculations.

• Charity fund raising via static bikes in reception during winter months keeps the profile up when it's cold and wet outside.... if you're going to launch all this now the weather's going to be a blocker so need consistent events through the winter.
  
  
  

Again, I really wouldn't link cycling to this sort of 'virtuous' behaviour. It may be counter-intuitive, but lasting behaviour change only works when it is not the first thing to suggest to people that 'you're doing something wrong right now and you need to change your ways'. This can even put off people who have already begun to doubt what they're doing. Instead, just stress what the positives are for you and allow people to make their own decisions. Avoid abstract stuff and stress how enjoyable cycling is to you. 'I just love it' (if true) is sometimes all that you need to say.

Lots of other good suggestions in snipped-off bit.