The Sharing

Economy
pwc.com/CISsharing

Consumer Intelligence Series

Contents:
Consumer Intelligence Series
“The Sharing Economy”

I. IV.
Research Methodology The Business of Sharing
• Automotive
• Retail and Consumer Goods

II.
• Hospitality
• Entertainment, Media and Communications

A Snapshot of the Sharing Economy

• By the Numbers
• Perspective from Industry Specialists V.
What the Sharing Economy Means
for Your Business
III.
Assessing the Sharing Economy
Research
Methodology I.

3
 What we did and who
we talked to
Around the world, a new wave of peer-to-peer, access-driven
businesses is shaking up established categories. Whether
borrowing goods, renting homes, or serving up micro-skills
in exchange for access or money, consumers are showing a
robust appetite for the sharing-based economy.

Consumers are showing a

robust appetite for the
sharing-based economy

We set out to explore how the sharing ethos will make

its mark on the wider market—and to understand what
incumbents and challengers must do to position themselves
ahead of disruption and capitalize on new sources of revenue.
By unlocking the sharing economy today, can companies
transform today’s threat into tomorrow’s opportunity?

Can companies transform

today’s threat into
tomorrow’s opportunity?

To do this, we worked with BAV Consulting, a global leader in

research and insights that is home to the largest and leading
quantitative empirical study of brands and consumers,
capturing decades of consumer perceptions.

Over the past four months, we’ve embarked on extensive

research to comprehend consumer attitudes toward the
sharing economy—surveying the general population, talking
candidly with influencers, interviewing business executives
and keeping a close ear tuned to the sharing economy chatter
on social media. Collectively, this data gave us a holistic view of
what’s unfolding across both business and consumer landscapes.

I. Research Methodology 4
 The Survey: Total US Adult Population:
We sampled US consumers who have
some familiarity with the sharing
economy. This sample cut across age,
income, region and gender.

• 25 minute online survey to consumer panelists

Not
• Total sample: n=1000 Familiar 56% 44% Familiar
• Incentive: Panel points
• Fielding dates: Dec. 17, 2014 – Dec. 22, 2014

The bulk of our questions were asked of the 44% of

respondents who are familiar with the sharing economy.

In our survey, we defined the Collaboration with PwC’s Digital

sharing economy as follows: Services group:
Sharing economies allow individuals and groups to make To brainstorm the sharing economy future and the
money from underused assets. In this way, physical assets implications it could have on both enterprise and society,
are shared as services. For example, a car owner may allow we sat down with PwC’s Digital Services group.
someone to rent out her vehicle while she is not using it, or a
condo owner may rent out his condo while he’s on vacation. In this session, we focused our discussions around the
following key questions:
Some examples of the sharing economy include:
• What are the keys to unlocking a better user experience
• Hospitality and Dining: CouchSurfing, Airbnb, Feastly, through the sharing economy?
LeftoverSwap
• What are the risks? For mature industries? For
• Automotive and Transportation: RelayRides, Hitch, Uber, incumbent disruptors? For challengers?
Lyft, Getaround, Sidecar • What ingredients are key to success in this business
model?
• Retail and Consumer Goods: Neighborgoods, SnapGoods,
Poshmark, Tradesy • What are the uncertainties this industry faces—and
what are the opportunities?
• Media and Entertainment: Amazon Family Library, Wix,
• How might sharing economy concepts be applied to
Spotify, SoundCloud, Earbits
existing business models across industries?

I. Research Methodology 5
 Conversations with industry specialists:
In a space as new and as ambiguously defined as the sharing economy, we wanted to hear from the people closest to it, those
at the leading edge of technology and business who could offer nuanced views of what’s happening and why it matters. To do
this, we held salons in two cities—New York and San Francisco—where we invited industry specialists to weigh in on the state
of the sharing economy and the future it holds. Our panelists included:

Shelby Clark Chelsea Rustrum Padden Guy Murphy Barbara Pantuso

CEO of Peers.org, founder Co-author of It’s a Sharable Head of Business Independent Consultant,
of RelayRides and former Life and Sharing Economy Partnerships, Getaround, Entrepreneur and founder
Director of Kiva.org Consultant a peer-to-peer car-sharing of Hey Neighbor!, a local
platform sharing site

Jim (Griff) Griffith Allison Mooney Brooke Moreland Evan Frank

Dean of eBay Education, Head of Trends and Insights, Founder, Fashism.com and Co-founder and President,
Host of eBay Radio, Author Google Marketing; Editor-in- Former Head of Marketing, Americas, onefinestay
of The Official eBay Bible Chief, Think with Google Gett (GetTaxi USA)

Kathryn Duryea Elisabeth Mouchy Arun Sundararajan

Marketing Consultant, Co-founder at Daylighted, Professor, New York
Former VP Marketing, turn-key gallery that uses University Stern School of
Rocksbox, a premium a digital canvas to bring art Business
jewelry subscription service everywhere

Social Listening
Chatter on social media can often reveal changes in consumer attitudes and perceptions. To capture this, PwC
conducted software searches across “the social web”—including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, forums and online news
outlets with comment boards—by creating a search of relevant key words, fine-tuning and optimizing this list based
on results, and then analyzing the data against situational context.

I. Research Methodology 6
A Snapshot of the
Sharing Economy II.

7
 Trust, convenience and a sense of community are all
factors in pushing adoption of the sharing economy
forward. Thanks to consumer willingness to try mobile
apps, there are lower barriers to entry when it comes to
building brands and scaling up quickly—the innovation
clock is now set to fast-pace, and will get even faster as
consumers become more trusting of relationships tied to
social sentiment and communities of users.

44 %
of US consumers are
familiar with the
sharing economy
Of those consumers who have
tried the sharing economy

57 % agree “I am intrigued by companies

in the sharing economy but have

19%
some concerns about them”

of the total US adult population has

engaged in a sharing economy transaction
72% agree “I could see myself being
a consumer in the sharing
economy in the next two years”

Percentage of US adults who

have engaged in a sharing
economy transaction Who is most excited about
the sharing economy once they
have tried it?
9%
8%

6%
18 to 24 year olds

2%
Households with income
between $50k and $75k

Entertainment Automotive and Hospitality Retail Those with kids in the

and Media Transportation and Dining house under age 18

II. A Snapshot of the Sharing Economy 8

 Among US adults familiar with the sharing economy,
they perceive many benefits to it

86% agree it makes life

more affordable
83% agree it makes life
more convenient and efficient
76% agree it’s better for
the environment

78% agree it builds a

stronger community
63% agree it is more
fun than engaging with
89% agree it is
based on trust between
traditional companies providers and users

They are re-thinking the value of ownership

81% agree it is less

expensive to share
43% agree owning
today feels like a burden
57% agree access is
the new ownership
goods than to own them
individually

But they have some concerns

72% agree they feel that the

sharing economy experience is
69% agree they will not trust sharing
economy companies until they are
not consistent recommended by someone they trust

II. A Snapshot of the Sharing Economy 9

 Who’s providing in this new economy?

7%
of the US population are providers in the sharing economy;
they cut across age and household income

ages 65 and older 16% 14% ages 18 to 24

ages 55 to 64 8%
24% ages 25 to 34

ages 45 to 54 14%

24%
ages 35 to 44

$200,000+

11%
19% Less than $25,000
$150,000 - $199,999 3%

$100,000 - $149,999 11%

24% $25,000 - $49,999

$75,000 - $99,999 16 %

16%
$50,000 - $74,999

II. A Snapshot of the Sharing Economy 10

 Perspective from Industry Specialists

Joey Bergstein, General Dermot Boden, Chief

Manager and Chief Brand Officer at Citi
Marketing Officer at
On launching Citi Bike:
Seventh Generation It was a tremendous risk when we
started this journey. At the time,
On shared resources: there were a lot of questions—is it
The sharing economy is actually the right thing to do? Is it going to
our business model—we don’t own be successful? As a result, this was
any of our own manufacturing, something that we thought about
we effectively share facilities. very hard before we got into it. And
We contract manufacture with yet, it’s exceeded our expectations
partner companies who make products for others, often in what it’s delivered for us and our ability to reach and
competitors. We do all of our own formulations but we connect with our clients, our customers and the people
share equipment and facilities. This is not the traditional we’d like to see become clients and customers.
definition of the sharing economy, but it’s certainly the way
that we’ve built our business and it fits the definition of From a brand perspective, it was very important that the
‘efficiently utilizing excess capacity.’ brand was associated with a very environmentally friendly
transportation model. Citi stands for progress, and we
Whenever we’ve investigated owning our own facilities, couldn’t think of a better way of representing this kind of
we keep coming back to the fact that it’s really not progress in the new urban environment where people care
economically more attractive or environmentally more about sustainability. We also saw the shift in consumer
sustainable than sharing facilities through a contract values—Citi Bike is providing tourists and native New
manufacturing business model. Yorkers with a wonderful opportunity to get around.

Similarly, when it comes to distribution, we use a Logistics On shared ideas:

Partner. They combine our brand with other brands to fill We launched the Citi Mobile Challenge last year—we
up a truck since we often wouldn’t fill up a truck ourselves. invited developers from around the world to help build
By sharing, we also utilize five to six distribution centers innovative solutions based on the Citi digital platform.
each closer to our markets, whereas if we tried to build Last year, we brought 60 finalists to Silicon Valley, New
our own facilities we’d have only one to two to supply the York City and Miami to present these ideas to a panel of
country. Our partners are professionally integrating the judges who could decide whether these were innovations
service, which is both financially and environmentally that could benefit our clients. The finalists competed for
more sustainable. This is all about the efficient use of an opportunity to take their idea to production, a share of
resource—obviously, the connective world we live in has $100,000 and other services to help get some of their ideas
made that more readily accessible. I think any place you off the ground.
can find inefficiency, that inefficiency will be eradicated in
the not too distant future. It’s an extraordinarily powerful initiative. We have the
opportunities through these hackathons to reach people
On shared ideas: from around the world who have tremendous ideas,
We don’t patent the technologies that we develop. The tremendous concepts, and actually see if we can help bring
belief is that we’ll create a better world if more and more them to market. It’s good for them and it’s good for us.
companies find plant-based solutions that perform as
effectively as conventional brands, rather than using The reality is that even as a company with 240,000
petroleum-based chemicals to accomplish the same task. colleagues internally, today everybody around the world
has new ideas and thoughts. The Citi Mobile Challenge
On social sharing: is a very creative approach to unleashing the power of
15 years ago, one of the questions you would always ask is, the tech community and developing fresh solutions.
where did you learn about this product for the first time? And our ultimate goal is to change the way innovation is
The first line of every research report was always ‘a friend traditionally approached.
recommended it.’ The frustrating thing at the time was
that you couldn’t really do anything about it directly. Today,
the preponderance of consumer reviews has filled that
void. Before, you could never efficiently access a friend’s
recommendation, today they are driving businesses. It’s a
way to efficiently harness the power of everybody’s voice
and it has a really clear and powerful effect on the business.

II. A Snapshot of the Sharing Economy 11

 Richard Steinberg, a permanent worker, but you can hire people quickly and
part time. But you have to be careful with the people who
CEO of DriveNow at BMW are representing your company, you want them to have the
right professionalism, and you background check to make
On rethinking marketplace sure you can trust that person.
positioning in the sharing
economy: The old way of doing it was background checks and
We used to be the provider of interviews, but now the sharing economy has shown that
premium cars and now we’re the people can build trust in other ways. With Airbnb, I think
provider of premium mobility people thought it was crazy at first to let strangers into your
services as well as premium cars. house. But this ecosystem of having reviews and people
Mobility services was recognized really caring about their reviews and online reputation has
by our board as something that we shown that most of the time people are very careful and
needed to be engaged in—that’s where DriveNow was almost generous with their stuff. It’s been proving itself
born from. Millennials are not so much interested in out that you can really trust that online review system to
spending their hard-earned money on buying a car. They’re be a checks and balances. I think as that becomes more
not interested in parking, insurance, vehicle acquisition. commonplace, big companies will be more familiar with it,
But they still have mobility needs. Public transit, Uber, all but it is a big transition.
the various sharing tools are at their disposal—but there’s
not personal mobility. So that’s where we fit in. On reducing waste:
Anywhere where there is a lot of waste going on, like the
On sharing and cannibalizing sales: kitchen space not being used or the car not being used,
I think there’s some inevitability to the equation. In many it feels like that’s an opportunity for sharing to come in
ways, the market BMW Group competes in is a premium and help reduce the waste. It’s an interesting mindset of
market for our new car sales. And the younger generation millennials and new consumers, of not necessarily needing
that’s using car share and using our service is not to own their own thing—everyone on the block doesn’t’
necessarily in the market for a premium automobile. They have to have their own snow blower or lawn mower,
might be interested in a base or a non-premium car or a so why don’t we pool together and share it and reduce
used car, but not so much in the premium category. So, are over-consumption in the world? There’s a really different
we cannibalizing ourselves? No. Are we eating into some mentality there—less consumerism, less materialism and
other automakers’ businesses? Perhaps. more of a community building approach.
On challenges to sharing:
The biggest challenge all of us have in the shared economy Amanda Havey, VP
is insurance. And insurance—whether it’s your house, of On-Air and Brand
your car, your driver—is really a fragmented market. They
don’t know how to deal with people occasionally using
Creative for an
their asset. There are major issues around people who don’t International
understand the risks they’re taking on. So this is a real area Media Company
for attention by the insurers—making sure that people
know what they’re doing in terms of the risks they’re taking On how sharing is changing
if they list their asset or use someone else’s asset in the consumer attitudes toward
sharing economy. entertainment and media:
We’ve definitely seen a shift in
Daryl Weber, Global consumption habits, specifically as it pertains to music.
Director of Creative People are feeling less of a need to own a track of music,
which is where Spotify comes into play. Spotify has really
Strategy at the Coca- gained strength as a driver to exposing listeners to new
Cola Company music. By seeing the public feed, music lovers are able to
see what their friends are listening to—which just feels like
On new forms of checks and a more authentic way to “sell” music. It’s the opposite of
balances in the sharing economy: iTunes saying “if you purchased this, then you’ll like this…”
It’s a matter of trust and familiarity. Consumers just don’t want to feel sold to or hustled.
That takes a lot of getting used to. The softer sell, the under-sell, or the NO-sell as seen in
Usually big corporations are so Spotify feels like a movement that consumers can really
conservative and careful, as they should be. For example, rally around. n
Wonolo is a company that tapped into the sharing economy
by creating a means for on-demand staffing. It’s the
sharing economy mentality where you don’t have to hire

II. A Snapshot of the Sharing Economy 12

Assessing the
Sharing Economy III.
 The name may be debatable—but the impact is huge Nearly half of US adults are familiar with the
sharing economy
For the purposes of consistency in our reporting and
research, we used the label “the sharing economy” to Our survey showed that 44% of US adults are familiar
broadly define the emergent ecosystem that is upending with the sharing economy. 18% of US adults say they have
mature business models across the globe. participated in the sharing economy as a consumer, and 7%
say they have participated as a provider. The more familiar
As we spoke with industry specialists, it was clear that they are with these services, the more excited they feel.
no single label can neatly encapsulate this movement. Collectively, these business models are changing the way
For some, the word “sharing” was a misnomer, a savvy- consumers think about value—assessing the impact of goods
but-disingenuous spin on an industry they felt was more and services on their wallet, their time and the planet.
about monetary opportunism than altruism. For others,
more apt titles included the Trust Economy, Collaborative
Consumption, the On-Demand or Peer-to-Peer Economy.

Yet in between the haggling over the most-accurate moniker,

there was uniform agreement that the so-called sharing
44% of US adults are familiar
with the sharing economy
economy is getting very big, very fast—and is something that
business executives very much need to tune into.

At the heart of this change is, of course, the Internet—

Airbnb averages 425,000 guests and with it, the rise of social, mobile, analytics and cloud
computing. Our access to information has never been
per night, nearly 22% more than greater or more tailored to specific needs. Transactions
Hilton Worldwide are shifting more and more to real time by way of mobile
and the cloud, and social is playing a huge role in driving
increased trust in commerce. Tech pioneers like Amazon,
eBay, Google, Apple and PayPal laid the foundation. For
To grasp the scale of disruption posed by the sharing
sellers with goods to unload, Amazon and eBay conjure
economy, consider that Airbnb averages 425,000 guests
up buyers. GPS-enabled smartphones point us toward the
per night1, totaling more than 155 million guest stays
nearest provider, and online payment systems like PayPal
annually—nearly 22% more than Hilton Worldwide, which
cement the transaction.
served 127 million guests in 20142. Five-year-old Uber
operates in more than 250 cities worldwide and as As these companies softened the risks of peer-to-peer
of February 2015 was valued at $41.2 billion3—a figure transactions, the economic downturn left many consumers
that exceeds the market capitalization of companies such rethinking the necessity of possessions. A 2011 survey by
as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United BAV Consulting showed that 66% of consumers (and 77%
Continental. PwC’s projections show that five key sharing of millennials) preferred a pared down lifestyle with fewer
sectors—travel, car sharing, finance, staffing, and music possessions. And while the economy has rebounded, many
and video streaming—have the potential to increase global recession-fueled values have stuck.
revenues from roughly $15 billion today to around $335
billion by 2025. Today, only one in two consumers agree with the
statement that “owning things is a good way to show
Investors are increasingly intrigued by the potential of my status in society.” Four in five consumers agree that
these sharing economy companies to radically upend both there are sometimes real advantages to renting over
how we consume goods and how we work to afford owning, and adults ages 18 to 24 are nearly twice as likely
them—whether it’s monetizing underutilized assets as those ages 25 and older to say that access is the new
or forgoing purchase of those assets altogether. For ownership. Happiness studies show that experiences
comparison, look back to the rise of the mass market increase contentment far more than purchases do, and
automobile, says Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New young people’s intrinsic understanding of this is fueling an
York University’s Stern School of Business. experience economy.
“The way we lived, the way we consumed, this whole
ownership economy much of it emerged out of driving
our cars”, Sundararajan says. “We built a big house in the
suburbs, we moved there, we acquired stuff. The direction
of change here is probably different, but it’s comparable in
how profound it was and the societal implications.”

III. Assessing the Sharing Economy 14

 Pillars of the
Sharing Economy

Sharing has, of course, been around forever—and many industries offer alternatives to ownership.
But as a model, the sharing economy is distinguished by these core pillars:

Digital platforms that connect spare capacity and demand More collaborative forms of consumption

Sharing economy business models are hosted through Consumers who use sharing economy business models are
digital platforms that enable a more precise, real- often more comfortable with transactions that involve deeper
time measurement of spare capacity and the ability to social interactions than traditional methods of exchange:
dynamically connect that capacity with those who need it.
• Airbnb and CouchSurfing provide travelers with the
• Airbnb matches spare rooms and apartments with ability to connect with local hosts and receive travel tips
travelers in need of lodging in a personalized fashion
• Zipcar matches spare cars with local demand • Ride sharing services such as RelayRides and Lyft
depend on users being comfortable trusting strangers
People have always bartered and traded services, but the
to complete their journey safely
usability of this process is unprecedented thanks to the
growing number of digital devices that make matching Branded experiences that drive emotional connection
demand and supply easier than ever.
Today, the value of a brand is often linked to the social
Transactions that offer access over ownership connections it fosters. Managing these connections is
fundamental to successful marketing. In the case of
Access can come in a number of forms, but all are rooted in
sharing, experience design is critical to engendering
the ability to realize more choice while mitigating the costs
emotional connections. By providing consumers with ease
associated with ownership:
of use and confidence in decision-making, a company
• Renting moves beyond a purely transaction-based relationship to
become a platform for an experience—one that feels
• Lending more like friendship.
• Subscribing
• Reselling
• Swapping
• Donating

III. Assessing the Sharing Economy 15

 Understanding an economy built on trust There’s one big potential sticking point: for the sharing
economy to continue to expand, the players within it
As nearly one-fifth of American consumers partake in will need to find ways to authenticate the identity of
some sharing economy activity, be it renting a driveway consumers. Some companies have already added identity
on JustPark, buying a dress from Poshmark or hitching a verification to their platforms, but doing so is not always
ride through Lyft, what is the attraction? Yes, convenience straightforward. In a peer-to-peer model, not everyone has
and cost-savings are beacons, but what ultimately keeps government verified documents or social media profiles that
this economy spinning—and growing—is trust. It’s the can sometimes suffice instead. Identifying, and upholding,
elixir that enables us to feel reassured about staying in a quality and trust metrics will be critical to success in this
stranger’s home or hitching a ride from someone we’ve evolving model.
never met.
The importance of trust—and the hesitations around
And yet our fundamental trust in peers has not changed it—add fuel to the debate around how appropriate the
markedly over the years. In fact, only 29% of consumers we sharing economy label is. Data shows that consumers are
surveyed said they trust people more today than they did more interested in affordability and convenience than
in the past. Nor is trust in brands any higher—62% of those they are in building social relationships with providers or
consumers surveyed said they trust brands less today than other consumers. So while the intimacy of peer-to-peer
they did in the past. interaction can be a benefit—for example, getting the
local scoop from an Airbnb host, or having an engaging
conversation with a RelayRides driver—there are

64% of consumers say that in the

sharing economy, peer regulation is more
limitations and boundaries that need to be discerned.
Companies that understand this are poised to have a
competitive advantage.
important than government regulation
For instance, Airbnb’s success is less because of the ‘people,

69%
places, love and community’ it espouses, and more because
consumers want a better deal for their travel dollars. The
say they will not trust sharing majority of Airbnb consumers choose to rent the entire
economy companies until they are place, rather than sharing quarters or a meal with the
recommended by someone they trust owner. Here, as with other sharing economy platforms,
trust prevails based on peer reviews, not on one-to-one
peer interactions.
But if trust in individuals and institutions is waning or
at best holding steady, faith in the aggregate is growing.
More and more, peer-review systems are becoming “I don’t want to know who owned
arbiters of quality. According to Nielsen’s 2012 Global
Trust in Advertising Survey, 92% of consumers in 56 the clothes before me or where they
different countries said they trusted word-of-mouth or wore them. I want to know that
recommendations from their friends and family above
all other forms of advertising. In the US today, 64% of they’ve been properly cleaned and
consumers we surveyed say that in the sharing economy,
peer regulation is more important than government
cared for.”
regulation. 69% say they will not trust sharing economy — Kathryn Duryea, Marketing Consultant,
companies until they are recommended by someone Former VP Marketing, Rocksbox
they trust.

And yet, when brands provoke social sentiment and

leverage it in their marketing, the conversion is often much
higher. The same trend is driving growth in shared economy
players. Rapid growth in mobile apps not only reflects
greater trust, but also greater use of social sentiment to
reinforce that trust.

IV. Understanding an Economy Built on Trust 16

 Rethinking value exchange Moreover, this shifting value paradigm has the ability to
expand the category. On one hand, there’s the impact of
The ability to monetize underutilized assets, or to forgo losing volume due to lower consumption. But on the other,
buying those assets altogether, has dramatically upended perhaps more significantly, there is a trade-up wherein
consumer purchase behavior, particularly when it comes to existing users may be more willing to pay given their ability
big ticket items. to recoup some value through sharing as providers—plus
those who would not otherwise buy are now entering
According to our survey (among those familiar with the the category as sharers through a lower price point, be it
sharing economy), 51% say they could see themselves being collective “shared” bargaining or the ability to monetize
providers in the sharing economy in the next two years—up the investment.
from the 23% of those familiar with the sharing economy
who identify as providers today. 72% say they could see The push for less friction
themselves being consumers in the sharing economy in the
next two years. On both sides of the coin, this impacts how
consumers consider purchases.

A potential Uber or Lyft driver weighing the costs of a

new car may choose to spend more for a higher quality,
43% of consumers agree that
“owning today feels like a burden”
more luxurious vehicle, knowing that it can yield return
on investment rather than simply being a depreciating
asset. A prospective homebuyer may look into purchasing
a 3-bedroom home rather than a 2-bedroom, mindful that The phrase “frictionless” may be one of the most shopworn
rental income from a spare room can cover the additional of 2015, but the buzzword should carry weight in the
mortgage payment. boardrooms across all industries. 43% of consumers
agree that “owning today feels like a burden.” And the
On the flip side, an urban dweller with less dependence on most compelling promise of the sharing economy is that it
vehicle transportation may opt-out of car-buying, preferring alleviates burden—the burden of cost, of maintenance, of
instead to use a car-sharing or on-demand taxi service. A choice (or lack thereof) and countless other variables.
shopper may decide against buying a new designer dress,
potentially finding more choice and value in the offerings at Price will likely always be a factor, but as the sharing
Poshmark, Rent the Runway or Le Tote. economy progresses and expands, creating a seamless
experience will be imperative for success. Already,
If market forces play out as expected, quality becomes less discerning consumers are factoring friction into the value
heavily juxtaposed against price—in fact, the durability equation. After all, time spent is time lost, and they’re
and resale value of higher quality goods may make them a looking to capitalize on both dollars and minutes. As a
more economical investment in the long run. That shift, in result, flawless digital tools, elegantly simple search and
turn, could put the squeeze on “cheap chic” and other mass seamless transactions are not merely a nice-to-have for
market goods made to appeal on price point above all else. companies today—they are a requirement. n
In the sharing economy, quality matters. Hardware will be
as much about enduring function as it is about form. As the
saying goes, “I don’t need a drill. I need a hole in my wall.”
“That time you spent driving
previously, now it’s downtime. You
“I don’t need a drill. have an extra hour and a half in
I need a hole in my wall.” your day where you can be doing
whatever you want.”
— Kathryn Duryea, Marketing Consultant,
Former VP Marketing, Rocksbox

IV. Understanding an Economy Built on Trust 17

The Business
of Sharing IV.

18
 The Sharing Economy:
Automotive

Zipcar. RelayRides. Car2Go. Lyft. Uber. The sharing All of this has made sharing systems—be they car-sharing,
economy is quickly paving new roads in the automotive ride-sharing or bike-sharing—far more appealing. And
industry, establishing a web of transportation options. while the price of gas may be going down, the trend away
Hitchhiking, it seems, is back—in one form or another. from ownership isn’t likely to change considerably.

According to our data, 8% of all adults have participated This is a big culture shift. And for those who figure out
in some form of automotive sharing. 1% have served as how to shift gears and get in the fast lane, it can be big
providers under this new model, chauffeuring passengers business. What’s next? No one can say precisely—the
around or loaning out their car by the hour, day or week. rules are being rewritten every day. But here are a few
Of all the categories we examined, this is the one in considerations to keep in mind.
which consumers would most like to see the sharing
economy succeed.

8% of all adults have participated in some form of automotive

sharing. 1% have served as providers under this new model.

Consumer preference is not surprising given the trend in car The automotive industry is just a slice of the pie—
ownership over the past decade. One-third of consumers today, it’s all about the mobility industry. More and
we surveyed indicated that the automotive industry yields more automotive companies today are rethinking their
too much waste. Chief among them are millennials, who positioning—reframing themselves as providers of
notably don’t drive as much as previous generations did at a mobility, not merely manufacturers of vehicles. But
comparable age. They are less likely to get drivers licenses, as automotive expands into mobility, new players are
and their view of cars is more perfunctory than emotional— surfacing as competitors: for instance, Apple, one of the
they largely see cars as transportation, not as status symbols. mobility leaders, enters the category. In this context,
legacy manufacturers must find ways to add unique value
Smartphones have also pushed up the relative costs of to consumers’ mobility day in and day out—perhaps
driving. A passenger can read email in transit and be becoming a purveyor of mobility at large, from selling cars
“productive”—but a driver behind the wheel can’t, or for purchase to facilitating ride-sharing, or even partnering
shouldn’t. (Same goes for drinking: according to Uber, since with public transportation in cities where systems are
the launch of UberX in California, drunk-driving crashes poorly run or underused.
decreased by 60 per month for drivers under the age of 30.)

IV. The Business of Sharing 19

 “I think the biggest change that Rethink your employment model. All of these business
models are changing the nature of how we work. It’s
we’re seeing here is that people are contentious, raising big questions about the boundaries of
contracting and freelancing and what the responsibilities
choosing to buy mobility as opposed of the employer and governments should be. Yet for all
to just buying a car.” the buzz in the press about exploitation of workers, this
was barely on the radar of those we surveyed—only 11%
— Shelby Clark, CEO of Peers.org of consumers we surveyed felt this was happening. There
are issues to be ironed out with this model, particularly
around agency and the ability for contractors to set their
Re-examine the consumer value equation. The target own prices, but it’s clear that more and more workers are
audience you’ve identified today may quickly shift under attracted to the flexibility that this approach offers. Among
the sharing economy as consumers’ price/value equations the sharing economy providers we spoke with, “flexibility”
get disrupted. Today, the economies of owning a car are was a top two appeal of providing, close behind “a way to
more favorable if you can profit from use of it. This means earn more money.” Savvy employers should consider these
different buyers are ponying up to purchase vehicles that shifts in employee attitudes and values, and how they can
otherwise might not have been in their consideration set, make the business stronger.
and they are entering new variables into the purchase
equation. In the sharing economy, quality is taking on a Recognize that disruption is inevitable—and ongoing.
new premium—consumers are thinking about resale and The narrative of disruption that sharing has caused in the
durability to a greater degree. transportation marketplace is applicable to every business:
anyone and everyone can be disrupted in this age of fast-
Examine your underutilized assets. Many large flowing technology and the internet of things. Self-driving
corporations have car fleets that sit unused for much of the cars could be a significant setback to the current set of both
time and garage spaces that sit empty. Under the sharing car manufacturing companies and car-sharing companies.
economy model, potential options abound. Could you But more likely, companies will find ways to smartly adapt
mimic a car-sharing platform and replicate it for internal and reduce friction, embrace new models of operational
use so frequent business travelers can swap as they come efficiency—and design experiences that work for business,
and go? As for idle fleets and empty parking garages, employees and consumers. The question is: who will do
consider time-sharing these assets with other companies, this best?
with employees—or even with everyday consumers. Done
right, making better use of underutilized resources can
generate new revenue streams and create goodwill with “If you can make money off cars
both employees and the local community.
you’re going to buy, it means in
theory, you can buy higher quality,
Why consumers like automotive
cleaner and hybrid electric vehicles.
sharing economy models:
So if you become a brand leader in
56% Better pricing
that space, that’s really powerful.”
— Padden Guy Murphy, Head of Business Partnerships,

32%
Getaround
More choice in the marketplace

28% More convenient access

IV. The Business of Sharing 20

 The Sharing Economy:
Retail and
Consumer Goods

The recession may be over in the United States, but the What’s the appeal? Besides a growing appetite for a more
values that emerged during it appear to be staying put—and minimalist lifestyle, consumers say these sharing-based
the sharing economy is giving new weight to the axiom “less services offer better pricing, more convenient access, and
is more.” 78% of consumers we surveyed agreed that the more choice in the marketplace. There are some concerns,
sharing economy reduces clutter and waste—millennials chiefly around uncertain quality (48% of consumers we
and households with kids most strongly agreed. These surveyed listed this as a concern), and consumers say
attitudes are a growing threat to a retail industry that is they are more likely to trust a leading department store
struggling to buoy its numbers—in December 2014, waning than Poshmark, the emergent fashion darling of this
holiday sales led consumer purchases to decline 0.9%, new economy.

78% of consumers agree that the sharing economy reduces waste

despite economic growth and lower gasoline prices4. And yet, a threat to retail can just as easily be flipped into
a tremendous opportunity. After all, while ecommerce
As a result of these shifts in cultural mores, a “new retail” is hollowing out the physical space, many retailers have
is emerging under the umbrella of the sharing economy. adeptly adapted and now help curate a more engaging
Consider Yerdle, an app designed to enable people to give omnichannel experience for their shoppers. Similarly, the
away their stuff in exchange for credits they can use to “buy” rise of borrowing doesn’t mean retail will be decimated—
other people’s castoffs. The company has an ambitious goal it’s simply a heads up for companies to take a fresh look
in mind—reducing the things we buy by 25%. Or Poshmark, at their brand, their product and their operations in this
a fashion marketplace that lets people shop for items sold new ecosystem and weave sharing into the omnichannel
from others’ closets. There’s also Spinlister, a peer-to- experiences they are creating.
peer marketplace for renting bikes, skis, surfboards and
other sporting equipment; Kidizen, a mobile, peer-to-peer
marketplace allowing parents to buy and sell their children’s
clothing, toys, shoes; and Rocksbox, a subscription rental
service for high-end jewelry. In every niche of retail, it
seems a sharing alternative is popping up.

IV. The Business of Sharing 21

 For those in the retail and consumer space— advantages. For Yerdle, Patagonia products add credibility
new entrants and incumbents alike—here are a and cache to Yerdle’s set of offerings, and they may be
more likely to inspire consumers to list their own unused
few things to keep in mind: Patagonia products. For Patagonia, the collaboration allows
Re-examine your business model and consider alternate the brand to highlight its commitment to high-quality
avenues: Most retailers are in the business of selling, products with a long life cycle. Yerdle and Patagonia are
whether it’s out of a physical storefront or an online shop. tapping the sharing economy in other ways, too, such as
But as the data shows, renting and sharing are becoming working with iFixit, a community in which people help fix
increasingly popular alternatives. Executives will be wise to used items in need of repairs.
assess the role of their product and brand in this model—
Understand the shift from conspicuous consumption to
are you squarely a purveyor of goods, or are you an enabler?
experience consumption: Today’s consumers are finding
Firms can carve out new revenue streams that are adjacent
more satisfaction and status in experiences, rather than
to their core capabilities by facilitating peer-to-peer or other
static material possessions. For retailers, this means
likeminded marketplaces.
becoming purveyors of experience as an extension of
There are several advantages to this approach. By stepping product. Many brands already have an established presence
in as a facilitator, a company can better manage the quality on social media, which can be leveraged to facilitate sharing
control aspects of its “shared” goods, ensuring consistency experiences and drive trial and engagement. Physical
of the brand experience. A sharing marketplace can be a storefronts are another opportunity to build experiential
great opportunity to drive engagement and trial, allowing cache, whether it’s lending the space to another vendor in
less active and prospective customers to experience a partnership effort or embracing the pop-up movement.
the product firsthand. In this case, a retailer may also Consider Warby Parker, whose retail presence runs the
consider building a network of providers as a competitive gamut from online shopping to “food truck” style mobile
advantage—a way to keep them loyal and sell through a stores to brick-and-mortar shops, synching online and real-
pipeline of products. world commerce.

Quality is the purchase consideration to beat: The sharing Re-assess retail space: Thanks largely to the shifting
economy has opened up new avenues for monetizing emphasis on experience, big and small brands alike are
investments in material goods—be it through rental looking for flexibility in how they reach consumers. That
income or resale revenue. As a result, quality becomes means rethinking the channels they use—in particular, their
an even bigger factor in the purchase decision process, physical footprint. Enter Storefront, a startup that enables
particularly on bigger ticket items. Durability of hardware retailers to set up pop-up shops or sell items in boutiques.
matters—so too does brand name as those looking to rent The platform connects those who have shops or empty real
or buy used goods will seek the reassurance that comes estate in highly trafficked areas with merchants seeking to
with brand recognition and corresponding caliber of goods. peddle their wares—in short, it’s an Airbnb for merchants,
For marketers, it will be important to reassess core brand offering the benefits of both temporariness and uniqueness.
messaging and the role that a quality seal plays within it. Listings include full retail stores that can be used as pop-
Similarly, as goods get passed around the market, brands up shops as well as shelf space in boutiques, and locations
will need to figure out their role in upholding quality range from neighborhood shops to subway stops to hotels.
maintenance to protect the brand.
The flexibility that Storefront offers can be a boon to
Boost brand goodwill through sustainability: 76% of brands looking to dial up their experience or pitch new
consumers we surveyed say the sharing economy is better products. So far, more than 1,000 merchants have used the
for the environment, and 79% say it’s good for society platform to open up shop in New York and San Francisco.
overall. For brands, there’s an opportunity to use the And for those providing the space, it’s an ancillary revenue
sharing economy to promote sustainability messaging and stream—on average, most retail spaces are closed for 15
raise esteem in the minds of consumers who are growing hours per week, time that could be otherwise monetized
more environmentally aware. Patagonia and Levi’s, through new platforms.
for instance, have partnered with Yerdle to distribute
unsold merchandise, thereby reducing waste by finding a
marketplace for these goods instead of disposing of them “Gyms, event spaces, even
in a landfill.
restaurants that aren’t used during
Patagonia has encouraged sharing on Yerdle with a free
item from Patagonia’s pre-used Worn Wear collection
certain hours—all these have the
in exchange for material donations to Yerdle, and potential to be opened up in the
by contributing excess Worn Wear products from its
warehouses. Currently, Yerdle hosts nearly 1,000 Patagonia sharing economy.”
products, which are among the 10 most popularly
— Chelsea Rustrum, Curator at Collaborative Consumption
exchanged goods on the site. This collaboration provides
both Yerdle and Patagonia with significant market

IV. The Business of Sharing 22

 The Sharing Economy:
Hospitality

“Airbnb is the worst idea that ever worked,” said Brian marketplace. Proprly is a cleaning and key delivery service
Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, at a recent PwC Corporate for Airbnb hosts. Guesthop provides support services for
Leadership event. When Chesky hatched the hospitality home sharers—from check-ins, key management and
startup, enabling everyday homeowners and renters to rent cleanings to full time, short-term rental management.
out a spare room, it was so new that to assess the potential Pillow handles all the details of hosting, including
market size, he figured out the number of airbeds sold each marketing, guest communications, booking and pricing
year and used that as an estimate. optimization, cleaning, repairs and any troubleshooting.

Today, Airbnb is reportedly valued at $13 billion, more than These ancillary services are designed to capitalize on the
mature players such as Hyatt or Wyndham Worldwide. growing popularity of hospitality sharing sites. Airbnb,
The company booked stays for 20 million travelers in for instance, now has 10 million bookings and is used
2014, operating with about 1,500 employees in 20 cities by more than 50,000 renters per night. But they are also
worldwide5. It has helped pioneer a market that is radically helping to close critical gaps in the sharing hospitality
changing consumer hospitality preferences and behaviors. industry—namely, the issues of friction and trust. With

6% of the US population has participated as a consumer in the

hospitality sharing economy; 1.4% has served as a provider.

Our data shows that 6% of the US population has management companies as intermediaries, there’s less
participated as a consumer in the hospitality sharing hassle for the renter and rentee in sorting out the logistics
economy; 1.4% has served as a provider. The platforms of the arrangement, and, presumably, greater trust that the
are plentiful: on the lodging side, Airbnb, CouchSurfing experience will be of consistent quality.
and HomeAway are big contenders, and the food and
dining industry is rapidly catching on, too. Feastly connects Mitigating the potential unreliability of strangers is still a
diners with chefs offering unique food experiences outside challenge. The hospitality sharing economy is appealing
of restaurants; similarly, EatWith links diners and hosts, because it offers better pricing, more unique experiences
creating a social experience where guests get to know one and more choice, but security, hygiene, and uncertain
another over a locally authentic, home-cooked meal. quality still loom as big concerns. For these reasons, our
survey showed that consumers familiar with the sharing
Other likeminded models are popping up across the economy are 34% more likely to trust a leading hotel brand
globe, as are businesses pegged to the hospitality sharing than Airbnb.

IV. The Business of Sharing 23

 “You can actually make more and those who seek the reassurance of consistency. The
leisure traveler may become even more markedly different
money from your home, self listing from the business traveler, meaning hotels have the
opportunity to drive home even more amenities to appeal to
on sites like Airbnb, but you specific segments.
would place very little value on Identify underutilized assets—and find ways to leverage
your time for that equation to and optimize them: As more and more workers become
mobile, hospitality players are taking note. Today, the
actually make sense. And the burgeoning startup LiquidSpace, which facilitates on-
friction there is not just time, it’s demand work space rentals at major hotel chains and
individual boutique hotels, has a client roster that includes
also social—you now have to deal Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Hilton and more.
with a potential stranger.” These types of partnerships and product extensions not
only open new revenue streams, they also drive trial. As
— Evan Frank, Co-founder and President, Americas,
consumers traffic through hotels for meeting spaces, they
onefinestay
gain exposure to and build affinity for those hotels. In fact,
Marriott offers some work spaces free of charge, outfitting
For their part, the hospitality sharing economy players are lobby areas with free Wi-Fi and desks with electric outlets.
trying to change this. Airbnb recently underwent extensive
rebranding, moving away from the more pragmatic room- Solidify reputation management: “A huge space that
rental positioning toward one that emphasizes community: has yet to be addressed adequately is the idea of online
the company’s new credo is “We believe in a world where all reputation,” says Jim Griffith, Dean of eBay Education, Host
seven billion of us can belong anywhere.” As Chesky said in of eBay Radio and Author of The Official eBay Bible. To an
a video on the Airbnb website, “At a time when we’ve been extent, this is addressed by peer reviews, rating systems and
told to look at each other with suspicion and fear, you’re sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Airbnb introduced a Verified
telling the world it’s O.K. to trust again.” ID program, designed to “build trust in our community,”
according to the website—though it has been met with
So what does all this mean for entrenched hospitality resistance from consumers wary of uploading sensitive
players? “The sharing economy effect is accelerating with information to the internet. For established hotels and
internet and technology and is something that is impacting restaurants, there is potential to drive key consumer-coveted
our business,” Christopher Nassetta, President and CEO of attributes like “unique” and “authentic” by partnering with
Hilton Worldwide, said in a recent interview with PwC’s flavorful sharing economy providers, while simultaneously
CEO Survey. But, notably, he views it as additive to the imbuing those providers with the credibility needed to be
business by making travel more accessible. “We’ve done a fully embraced by consumers.
great job at our scale…to democratize travel, but I think this
takes it to the next level…making travel more available to Embrace your own disruption: “You’re not going to stop
people that it may not have been available to and in ways it Airbnb—it’s its own rocketship,” says Shelby Clark, CEO
may not have been available. In a simplistic way, it’s making of Peers.org. Instead, “figure out how you can benefit from
the pie bigger.” this changing landscape.” Disruption, after all, typically
doesn’t have an end in sight. Airbnb may eventually
As you consider what the sharing economy means for the address all elements of the travel experience, from travel
future of hospitality and your business, here are a few reservations to ticketing for local attractions and bookings
things to keep in mind: at restaurants. For players who want to survive and thrive,
this means sticking to core competencies—but also staying
Customization and local flavor are at a premium: In agile, nimble and open to new partnerships and new ways
terms of appeals of the sharing economy in hospitality, a of thinking.
“more unique experience” is second only to better pricing.
More and more consumers are looking for local authenticity As Hilton’s Christopher Nassetta said of his strategy, “We
in their travels, and sites like Airbnb and EatWith are are a hospitality company, and we should stick to what we
delivering it. “They’re introducing really incredible do best. I view us as technology strategists that are trying
customization and local flavor. You get all these really to figure out how to connect what’s going on in the world
micro experiences, all these different hosts,” says Shelby of technology to the hospitality business... It is a human
Clark, CEO of Peers.org. “Having that local flavor is business that involves a lot of human interaction, and we
something that is very difficult for any major brand to don’t want to take that out. What we want to do is take
match, so I think that’s going to be a big challenge for the the elements that are simpler and where we can be more
incumbents to deal with.” efficient, and make those very easy and comfortable and fun
for people to allow for the people in our hotels to really interact
At the same time, there’s a bifurcation of consumer types— in a way that is more driving a customized experience.”
those who are more prone to look for a unique experience,

IV. The Business of Sharing 24

 The Sharing Economy:
Entertainment, Media
and Communications

“There’s no business that has been launching the wavelength.io beta was bringing to market
legal movie sharing, wrapped around a great UltraViolet
more disrupted than entertainment experience… Not surprisingly, what we have built has
been controversial6.”
and media. It’s a perfect case study
of people digging their heels in And yet there are areas in which sharing, however loosely
defined, is coming to life. Two decades ago, an aspiring
and winning battles but not artist needed a bundle of money to make a film; today
there are alternate—and very viable—ways of making and
winning the war.” monetizing music. Consider the artist Amanda Palmer, who
— Jim Griffith, Dean of eBay Education, Host of eBay Radio in 2012 announced a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds
and Author of The Official eBay Bible for a new recording and pulled in nearly $1.2 million from
her fans in exchange for pre-orders of the album. And just
as artists are finding alternative ways to create, consumers
are discovering alternative ways to consume. According
Without hesitation, the industry specialists we spoke with to a survey conducted in December 2014 by the Consumer
throughout our research said that the media, entertainment Reports National Research Center, 46% of American adults
and communications industries have been the most with streaming media accounts admitted to sharing log-in
impacted by the sharing movement—and view their actions credentials with people living outside of their homes.
as a cautionary tale of what not to do.
In our survey, this is the highest category for consumer
The ambiguity of the sharing economy is particularly participation—consumers are more engaged with
evident in entertainment and media, where consumers entertainment and media sharing than they are with
are open to “sharing” products, but it’s less about the automotive, hospitality or retail. The most compelling
underutilization of assets and more about the intangibility benefits of sharing in this sector are better pricing, more
of them. To that end, legal and contractual impediments choices, greater access, and more unique experiences.
may make it difficult to ramp up a formalized sharing
model at the same speed as industries like automotive and And businesses are ultimately catching on. Spotify has
hospitality have. Wavelength, a startup designed to let popularized the act of listening to customized music
users freely stream the movies their friends own, ended without physically owning an asset. Sprint has tried to
just two weeks after it launched. In his closing statement, capitalize on consumer sharing preferences, most recently
Wavelength’s founder wrote that “One of our goals in with its Sprint Family Share Pack.

IV. The Business of Sharing 25

 The sharing space in entertainment, media and Find the intersection of a physical-digital offering: In part,
communications is, as Griffith put it, “a Wild West the demise of “ownership” in the entertainment, media and
frontier,” and it will continue to be disrupted. Yet with this communications a and communications space is due to the
disruption comes great opportunities to differentiate and intangible nature of goods provided. Digital assets inherently
provide meaningful (and potentially profitable) services to feel less like a possession than physical ones. As a result,
consumers. For new entrants and incumbents alike, here are companies need to figure out how to shift from offering an
some things to keep in mind: item to offering a relationship—and then optimize that
relationship accordingly.
Use sharing opportunities to drive engagement within
the category: Smart partnerships are smart business— Done right, relationships can create more perceived value,
especially in a sharing culture. There are potentially and command more money as a result. Subscriptions
large untapped opportunities to create content sharing are one way to drive the relationship value exchange.
partnerships across categories. Media sites, after all, are Consumers can get greater access to content in exchange for
hubs for like-minded people—and thus are well-poised to a subscription commitmen—and with sharing, the access
act as facilitators for peer-to-peer sharing. For instance, is increased even further. For instance, a content providing
if HGTV is the go-to source for consumers with interests service may enable two users to share endlessly, so long as
in home and gardening, it might establish a peer-to-peer both are committed subscribers.
network and partnership with a retailer in this category to
drive those goods. Understanding the appeal of on-demand: It’s no surprise
that the sharing economy is also dubbed the “access
Increased sharing engagement can drive trial. For instance, economy” or the “on-demand economy.” We are operating
HBO allows sharing of passwords, knowing that heavier in a society that wants what it wants, at the exact moment
users will want their own after they’ve had the experience it wants it. And often, they are willing to pony up for it.
firsthand. UltraViolet is a “digital locker” that gives So, if consumers are willing to pay more to see something
consumers digital copies of movies they’ve purchased earlier, but these costs can be mitigated by sharing it with
elsewhere, enabling sharing across channels—and with it, others—for instance, watching a new release in a home
potentially, across friends. News media like the New York theatre setting with 10 other people—then there are new
Times have created “freemium” models that allows readers opportunities for a collective bargaining model to benefit
to share some stories before hitting a paywall. both consumers and providers.

More viral and effective promotional models are another Understand the appeal of sharing, and ways to make
way in which sharing can boost engagement. Businesses it work for your business: One way or another, content
want to expand their access—and if that access can be sharing appears here to stay. Faced with that reality, media
shared among several users, it could lower the cost of trial providers can either continue to fight the threat or explore
and raise consumers’ willingness to pay. In entertainment, the potential opportunity behind it. That is, sharing creates
media and communications, there can often be large new platforms with greater reach and more highly engaged
variances in marketing costs based on the scalability of audiences—and with it, opportunities to move beyond
the model and ease of discovery. And yet socially-oriented one-to-one ownership models and explore new distribution
experiences can help keep marketing costs to the lower models. Likewise, content creators will need to adopt
end of the range—for instance, both Uber and Airbnb metrics beyond linear sales and figure out how to monetize
soared in popularity without relying on big and costly accordingly through new platforms, rather than blocking
marketing campaigns. them altogether. n

IV. The Business of Sharing 26

What the Sharing
Economy Means for
Your Business V.
 Whatever your organization looks like today, the sharing Develop a mitigation strategy: Whether acquiring a new
economy is too big an opportunity to miss—or too big a risk entrant, partnering or investing in them, companies can
not to mitigate. mitigate the risk of a sharing economy insurgency and
even capitalize on sharing economy revenue to bolster
For incumbent players in mature industries, the immediate their business. For instance, a manufacturer of high-end
challenge is to avoid being disrupted. For a cautionary hardware goods could partner with a sharing economy
tale, look no further than traditional media, which once network to circulate its wares, capitalizing on the growing
rested on the assumption that that ownership and rental appetite for higher quality, more durable goods that offer
models were the only ways to consume music or films. greater resale or longevity to buyers. This builds on current
That is, until streaming came along to disrupt everything practice of providing a network of contractors, extending it
media executives thought they knew to be true. They to include shared economy providers who can ably supply
underestimated the importance of connecting through their tools or labor.
social and shared playlists—and they failed to recognize
that ownership and rentals would quickly become Organizations can also develop their own sharing economy
antiquated in digital media, trumped first by downloads and concepts—after all, innovation often starts with imitation.
then by streaming. For instance, using a tried-and-tested approach in one
industry and adapting it to your own (such as developing
By contrast, the automotive industry recognized the sharing “access” options alongside traditional sales channels)—or
economy as an early threat and adopted the model where reworking a consumer-to-consumer model to fit a business-
it was applicable. Today, many car manufacturers now run to-consumer or business-to-business market.
their own car-sharing operations and others have made
strategic investments in new entrants—such as Avis in Engage in sharing your own asset base: The sharing
Zipcar and BMW in JustPark. economy demands a sharing organization, one that
monetizes spare capacity and improves business outcomes
Where a consumption model has prevailed in a sector for through sharing intangible assets. For many organizations,
many years, it is often most at risk of disruption. At PwC, we this is the low-hanging fruit in the imitation game—
often run a workshop with our clients called “How to design inding instances within your own organization where
a company to beat yours”—an exercise that’s particularly underutilized assets can be more effectively shared across
relevant and effective in a sharing economy world. It may entities, both inside and outside the organization.
sound grim, but if your business can’t figure out how to
disrupt itself, someone else out there will do it for you. Begin with tangible assets. On average, today’s
manufacturing facilities operate at 20% below capacity7.
Here are some key disruptive levers that Half of all desks in the average office go unused8. A quarter
businesses should consider of all trucks traveling in the US are empty9. All of these are
instances where sharing platforms could move companies
Create marketplaces: Organizations need to assess the much closer to maximum efficiency. Marriott, for instance,
potential for consumers to band together in a peer network has partnered with the online platform LiquidSpace to
that can undermine their value proposition. These networks convert empty conference rooms into rentable work spaces.
are most likely to emerge in categories where products and The result is not just a new revenue stream, but also a way
services are widely distributed, involve high fixed costs to increase exposure to Marriott properties. Pharmaceutical
but low marginal costs and are often underutilized. The giant Merck recently signed an agreement to share
automotive and hospitality sectors were among the first to Medimmune’s manufacturing facility, providing long-term
see peer networks, but this network effect is equally viable utilization of excess capacity for Medimmune while giving
in industries that hold similar characteristics. High-end Merck flexible access to manufacturing facilities as needed.
retail and utilities are susceptible to this model—in the
communications sector, Fon already enables WiFi customers Another opportunity is to facilitate the sharing of intangible
to share their connection with others in return for free assets. That means intellectual property, brainpower and
access to other Fon hotspots around the world. brand—which collectively make up around 80% of a global
corporation’s value. In the US, the top five patent filers—
If this potential for a network effect exists—and for those IBM, Samsung, Canon, Sony, and Microsoft—collectively
in the automotive, hospitality, retail, entertainment and filed more than 21,000 in 2013 alone, but because of
tech industries, it very likely does—then companies need high investment costs, only a fraction of these resulted in
to decide whether to be a player or an enabler. Will your products brought to market. By contrast, General Electric
business create and facilitate the marketplace? Or will you spearheaded a partnership with Quirky, an online inventor
be a provider that feeds into a system that’s mediated by community. The $30 million deal gave Quirky’s inventors
another entity? open access to GE’s patents and technology, resulting in
joint-venture products such as a smartphone-controlled

V. What the Sharing Economy Means for Your Business 28

 window air conditioner, a propane tank gauge with fuel Expand the brand through shared economy experiences:
sensors, and a home monitor that can be set to track motion, By design, the sharing economy disrupts the balance of the
sound and light. marketing mix for nearly every industry it touches. Price
points are upended. Product has a new set of metrics—of
Effectively tap talent: One of the more controversial which quality gets a new premium, and standardization
aspects of the sharing economy is the impact it has on the and consistency can matter more or less, depending on
labor force, and the perceived shift toward contract-based the market. Place is reconsidered as new points of access
employment that trumpets agency over regulation. For emerge. And the very nature of promotion has shifted, with
some, this is regarded as a benefit, enabling workers to earn “sharing” engendering new means of trial and exposure.
wages on their own time and their own terms. For others, it
heralds an era of depressed earnings and greater reliance on Brand is still very relevant today—but companies need
welfare and other government subsidies. 78% of adults said to reassess their brand pillars in light of these new
they expected that in 30 years, working multiple jobs would marketplaces, new business models and new consumer
be the new normal for wage earners. values. Today’s fast-paced lifestyles leave little time to
maintain expensive assets. One in two consumers agrees
Companies need to be mindful of this tension and adapt that owning things is a good way to reflect status in society.
their employment strategy accordingly. For starters, that Social networks have also accentuated a shift in how we
means offering wages and benefits that attract good, attain social status, raising the bar for experiences over
reliable talent and project the values that today’s consumers material possessions.
seek. In many industries, flexibility can be as compelling as
a higher salary—likewise, some employees prioritize variety As a result, forward-looking companies must re-examine
of work and autonomy. At the same time, employers can what creates brand value and position themselves
assess the impact of “sharing” a larger portion of their talent accordingly in the marketplace. For instance, many
base, be it with entrepreneurial activity, leisure or even automotive companies now identify as “mobility providers”
another company. Google’s “20% time” initiative enables rather than automotive manufacturers, a reflection of
employees to pursue innovative ideas for an approved shifting consumer preferences. Savvy brands are designing
period of time, even if those ideas are outside their
current job focus.

Speak up in shaping regulatory and policy frameworks:

Regulatory flash-points are everywhere, and they are
76% of consumers agree that
the sharing economy is better for the
the most immediate impediment to sharing economy environment
growth—a situation that’s relevant to both disruptors and
to more mature players. In our survey, 59% of respondents experiences that are mobile and social first—empowering
said they will not trust sharing economy businesses until users to share with each other and tap into greater trust
they are properly regulated. When regulation is solidified, fueled by a combination of content, social sentiment and
these business models will be fully legitimized—not just improved functionality.
by law, but also in the minds and hearts of consumers. This
should motivate companies across all sectors to get ahead in And for any company still toeing the line on corporate
carving out a place in the conversation with policymakers. social responsibility, let the sharing economy be a wake-up
call. Today, with new ways to effectively address resource
In this setting, companies can credibly measure the scarcity, doing the right thing and doing the profitable thing
economic, fiscal, social and environmental impact of are not incompatible.
the sharing model in the communities in which they
operate. There are tools available to do that—including
PwC’s market-leading Total Impact Measurement and “If the economics of car sharing can
Management (TIMM) approach.
enable folks to afford a new hybrid
There is no question that the regulatory, legal and tax
framework needs to be fit for a new age. The right balance
or electric car, then sales objectives
of solutions need to be built from the bottom-up, where and sustainability objectives are
local authorities can quickly trial and experiment with new
models. Not surprisingly, this is more easily done when now actually aligned. So CSR can
both sides work together. For instance, Airbnb worked
with Amsterdam’s local council to pass an “Airbnb-friendly
actually be driven by profit motive,
law” in February of 2014 which permits residents to rent which is an incredibly powerful
out their homes for up to 60 days a year, provided that the
owner pays the relevant taxes.
benefit of the sharing economy.”
— Padden Guy Murphy, Head of Business Partnerships,
Getaround

V. What the Sharing Economy Means for Your Business 29

 Never settle for stable: If the sharing economy has proven The opportunities ahead are not without challenges.
anything, it’s that business models cannot be taken for Effectively competing in the sharing economy requires
granted in a highly connected, fast-changing world. sharp insight into the consumer mindset and competitive
Today’s disruptors can easily be disrupted tomorrow. The marketplace, as well as clarity into internal operations.
ride-sharing model could be obsolete when self-driving Liability and security are concerns to be mitigated. But
cars materialize—or these companies could adapt by companies that willingly tackle these challenges will
purchasing their own fleet of self-driving cars, removing be the ones poised to survive—and the potential ahead
the cost-center of today’s drivers. will be constrained only by the imagination of decision
makers. Whether the model is consumer-to-consumer,
To stay nimble, companies need to continuously examine business-to-consumer or business-to-business, as
ways to bundle and unbundle the value exchange for companies create and utilize these exchanges efficiently
maximum consumer benefit and maximum competitive and creatively, they will find more ways to profit and help
advantage. They will need to capitalize on opportunities their businesses—and the community at large—grow and
for expansion, assessing ways in which new models can be sustain success. n
leveraged to reach untapped consumers. They will need
to explore gaps in revenue management, finding cost-
efficiencies and opportunities to free up capital that can
be more effectively applied in other capacities.

How PwC and Strategy& Can Help

To have a deeper discussion about the sharing economy, please contact:

Deborah Bothun Matthew Lieberman Matthew Egol

Entertainment, Media and Consumer Intelligence Series, PwC Digital, Strategy&
Communications, PwC (213) 217-3326 (732) 208-5828
(213) 217-3302 matthew.lieberman@us.pwc.com matthew.egol@strategyand.pwc.com
deborah.k.bothun@us.pwc.com

David Clarke Joe Atkinson Jennie Blumenthal

Digital, PwC Entertainment and Media, PwC Hospitality, PwC
(786) 552-3211 (267) 330-2494 (703) 918-4564
clarke@us.pwc.com joseph.atkinson@us.pwc.com jennie.blumenthal@us.pwc.com

Brian Decker Matt Hobbs Sameer Shirsekar

Automotive, PwC Technology, PwC Retail and Consumer, PwC
(313) 394-6263 (206) 398-3326 (408) 817-5991
brian.d.decker@us.pwc.com matthew.d.hobbs@us.pwc.com sameer.shirsekar@us.pwc.com

Explore other issues of this series online at: http://www.pwc.com/cis

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V. What the Sharing Economy Means for Your Business 30