Driverless vehicles are not a fiction of our imagination any longer and we are nearing their application into our streets and consequently daily lives in the not so distant future. Some of the common discussions regularly overheard in boardrooms, tech shows and events are the importance of how they are deployed, the implications they will have on time and speed in our daily lives, accidents caused and how receptive society will be of such immersive and at the same time “disabling” (from the notion of being in power when driving, one of the main causes of accidents) technology.

Some of the largest corporations and automotive manufacturers in the world are slowly but steadily transforming their business models towards mobility and autonomous technology such as Toyota and Ford. In addition, forward thinking” technology and Automotive players such as Waymo, Uber and Google Car have also emerged in a rapidly moving industry that is only in its infancy.

Whilst many – such as Toyota – have clearly defined their transformation into a Mobility focused company starting from vehicles with a purpose (i.e.focussing on autonomous vehicles for disabled drivers) it is a known fact that other automotive companies also have pilot programs for autonomous vehicles that will only grow in scale in the coming years, reflecting a broader vision of what this technology will be able to do.

However, we rarely hear marketers or technologists alike ever speaking about the enormous positive implications autonomous vehicles technology will have for large brands and marketers alike globally. The fact the technology is still “a little” distance away from being implemented in our daily life (mainly due to perceptual issues & lack of correcting communication to the public -including the multiple benefits and negatives that will naturally arise-) is perhaps a stumbling block for marketers to look ahead but it is truly an exciting time ahead for us. As a Technology driven, data analytics-based consulting agency in the mobility industry, we are enormously fascinated and excited to see what is in store in the future with the addition of the above in our cross-channel mix.

The introduction of On-Board live marketing, will create a brand new abundance of content to be consumed on a daily basis. Considering the fact an average person spends a minimum of 18000 a year driving, the time available to us will increase tremendously with marketers keeping an eye on this space.

Vehicles will effectively become the new living room, offering a multitude of multimedia platforms to enjoy and indulge on advertising/branded experiences. The advantage of all of this being done in a 360-degree environment it creates a new entertainment field for commuters to relax whilst commuting to work, play games, watch the news, interact via touch screens or even simply enjoy a cuppa and enjoy the ride.

In terms of advertising and marketing, the opportunities are truly endless such as:

• offline marketing mediums, where commercial ads would sponsor your video content, favourite team match or streaming TV series;
• radio spots could be specifically targeted for your demographic and sponsor podcasts and music channels an outdoor/billboard type of environment would appear across your screen as you geolocate near a particular store or brand
• outdoor posters and billboards targeting your location and offering you customised ads per your behavioural patterns previously collected (via other marketing firms such as Facebook, etc).
• digital banners and pay-per-click (PPC) targeting on your laptop and mobile devices.

..and these are only just some of the ideas that may potentially be used. The plan for such companies and large brands is to eventually work with vehicles that are able to be commanded to suggest a customized day, curated entirely by the autonomous vehicle.

It is an exciting time in the automotive industry but also for us all as members of the public that will soon be able to enjoy a ride to work or a drive to school in much more relaxed and highly customised experience.

I’d love to hear your view so do not hesitate to contact me, subscribe to this blog for free, click here to arrange a FREE Consultancy meeting, send me an email at [email protected] or Follow me below on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.