Kakao Mobility is planning a significant overhaul of its ‘Kakao T Bike’ service, set to launch the ‘Kakao T Bike 2.0’ in the second quarter.
The ‘Kakao T Bike’ is a shared personal mobility service that Kakao Mobility first introduced in 2019, which has received widespread appreciation from users with a total operational distance of 50.67 million kilometers since launch. This distance is equivalent to circumnavigating the Earth 1,264 times.
To match the evolving market and user demands in its fifth year of service, Kakao Mobility is advancing the ‘Kakao T Bike 2.0’ project and conducting usability surveys. Given the diversification of operational characteristics by region, user usage patterns, and the dynamics of the shared personal mobility market, there is a consensus on the need for a new service paradigm.
Recently, Kakao Mobility conducted a survey between September last year and April this year with over 12,000 users who have used the service within the past year. Through a six-month feedback collection and analysis process, they aim to usher in a new phase of user-centered service with ‘Kakao T Bike 2.0’.
Initially, the first survey assessed overall service usability and areas for improvement. When asked about what users were satisfied with during service use (multiple responses allowed), the top responses included ▲Convenient rental methods (59.3%) ▲User-friendly app map UI (47.6%) ▲Well-maintained devices (21%).
However, there was also a strong demand for changes in the existing service. Many users expressed the desire for new functionalities (open-ended responses), such as adjustments in standard usage times, discounted rates, membership, and tier systems.
Kakao Mobility has also gathered more nuanced opinions regarding functionalities and services for the Kakao T Bike service overhaul.
Survey participants placed the elimination of the standard usage time (57%) as their top preference for desired changes (multiple responses allowed). Analysis of actual Kakao T Bike usage data shows that short-distance usage under the currently set standard time of ’15 minutes’ reflects 85% of total usage.
Additionally, there were demands for the introduction of monthly memberships (44%), long-term usage discounts (33%), and diversification of device types (10%). Among these, there was a strong preference for monthly over daily or weekly membership options.
The need for a variety of bike options was also confirmed. The option receiving the highest response (multiple responses allowed) was to provide mobile phone holders (53%), followed by improvements in motor output (37%) and speed enhancements (35%) regarding driving performance changes.
Based on user feedback, Kakao Mobility plans to not only revamp the service but also to enhance the positively evaluated aspects, launching the user-centered Kakao T Bike 2.0 service in the second quarter.
The company plans to reassess the default usage time settings and introduce new options such as monthly memberships and long-term usage discounts. They also aim to actively reflect the user demand for diversification of device types, including the activation of standard bicycles.
According to Ahn Gyu-jin, Vice President of Kakao Mobility’s business division, “The shared personal mobility market environment has changed since we launched Kakao T Bike in 2019, and service usage behaviors have become more diverse and segmented. To keep up with these changes, we plan to analyze and reflect the user behaviors and demands indicated in this survey, launching a revamped service focused on the user in the second quarter,” he said.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr