Why Marketers Want Access to Smart Connected Cars & Autonomous Cars

Get ready connected car passengers and drivers, marketers are waiting with baited breath to start marketing to people in connected cars.

Connected cars “have important implications for marketers seeking to use them as platforms for customer outreach, targeted messaging, ecommerce and personalized services,” said eMarketer principal analyst Victoria Petrock, author of a new report, “The Internet of Things for Smart Cars: Accelerating on the Information Superhighway.”

Connected cars have:

  • Internet connectivity
  • Digital capabilities that provide infotainment.
  • Communications.
  • Diagnostics.
  • Driver assistance.
  • Smart mobility options.

eMarketer notes that while there is some consumer demand, the push to adopt more sophisticated features is being driven by manufacturers and tech companies seeking to differentiate themselves and expand revenue opportunities.

“Digital car technology and cloud platforms are giving rise to new service-based ecosystems for finance, retail, insurance, energy, infotainment and maintenance, among others,” said Petrock. “Additional services related to these areas will help drive the connected car market.”

“The connected car gives marketers, including car manufacturers, a lot of really interesting data to work with, with regard to how people use their products,” said Kevin Lindsay, director of product marketing at Adobe. “[Marketers] may already have years and years of CRM data, and now to be able to combine that with behavioral data that comes directly from a vehicle is a huge opportunity.”

eMarketer further reports that businesses use GPS and other connected car data to target drivers with location-based offers or alerts as they pass by. Business can also use information about driving habits, entertainment preferences, app use and other specific data sets to deliver multichannel targeted advertising.

“Analyzing this data can potentially help marketers identify which phase of the buying cycle their users are in, suggest purchases, and execute more effective and personalized marketing campaigns across channels,” said Petrock.

In the podcast below Petrock discusses the safety features of connected cars such as eCall and collision avoidance. Cars can check to see if drivers are alert. She also talks about in car payment systems. A report is available to eMarketer subscribers.