Sustainable apps are usually aimed at a target group that is already living consciously. But to really make a difference, you have to reach people who don’t give a damn about others. And what better motivator could there be than the epitome of greed and selfishness: money.

Only 11 % of the population walk most of the time, even though, according to the German Federal Environment Agency, 40% of nitrogen oxide emissions are caused by traffic. Frequent walking would therefore have a significant impact on air quality. But why should I walk? The car is so much more convenient and I can get to my destination much faster. After all, time is money.

The solution: Flouzgänger! The app changes users’ behaviour without any great effort or finger-wagging.

They simply start recording their steps and distance travelled when they start using the app. They can then either walk a predefined route and let the app navigate them, or put their smartphone away and walk their route according to their own preferences. During this time, the parameters distance, duration and calories burned are measured. When the route recording is completed, they receive a number of points corresponding to the distance. Depending on their score, they are assigned to one of six levels and can then use the discount code generated for them to receive a discount on selected products from partner companies. Users are credited with 100 points per kilometre. According to the graphic, after three kilometres they receive a discount code for a 5 % discount. After this stage, the points required per stage are doubled. This ensures that the final stages can only be reached through high performance. In addition, the points balance is zeroed after 14 days. This encourages users to keep their performance up.

Who wins? In the end, the environment, of course! But along the way, partner companies such as Nike, Puma and many others gain a loyal customer base and a clean image.