Drivers, Keep Your Eyes on the Ad - A New Way for Companies to Advertise on the Road!
There are over 450,000 billboards lining America's highways and streets. Last week's blog post, On the Road Again, discussed digital billboards and how they can be a customized experience to each of the 260,000+ drivers that make up America's roadways. What if I were to tell you that marketers are now going beyond the stagnantly positioned billboard, and are now attempting to take over your vehicle!
These capabilities provide added value to a vehicle, and an enhanced and possibly safer driving experience for the person behind the wheel. However, this also brings a new platform for marketing and advertising. The fact that businesses can now go from outside the car to the inside adds a whole new level of capabilities.
Bloomberg Intelligence Analyst, John Butler, expresses his positive opinions about the direction of this new marketing medium. He states:
Some mobile navigation applications, such as Google Maps, are already experimenting with advertising on GPS interfaces. However, the enhanced heads-up display would help bypass some of the legal issues with using mobile devices in a moving vehicle. By superimposing business information from maps with the driver's immediate line of sight and/or periphery could benefit the driver by helping to keep his or her eyes on the road, while making it even easier for companies to reach their audiences.
The possibilities are also endless for companies that may choose not to directly advertise to the consumer when he or she thinks they need something. Instead, they may use GPS technologies in-sync with AI technologies to advertise a particular restaurant based off of past eating patterns and work schedule, and order food when the driver is 'xx' minutes away from the physical location, or provide direction to the nearest repair shop if the "check engine" light appears.
Some experts are ecstatic by the idea that this technology may be available as early as 2020, whereas others are skeptical of the safety and security issues this would bring.
While heads-up display may help keep the driver looking forward and away from a screen in the middle of the vehicle's console, many argue that advertising on a heads-up display would be distracting to a driver as well. Some critics are very against the very idea of allowing a company to have access inside your vehicle when others' lives may be at stake in such a highly focused activity. Some automakers are even pushing for video content, in which even the idea would draw up major concerns for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government organization "responsible for keeping people safe on America's roadways."
On top of safety, security issues arise with this new technology. Matthew Hudson from Science Magazine brings to light an important concern of hackers taking over a driver's view of a vehicle, possibly maliciously. With this being a possible threat, researchers at the University of Washington (UW) are proactively building systems that would help reduce the risk of such dangers from occurring prior to the mass distribution of the technologies.
Some entrepreneurs have already started publicizing smart tech for your car, including the Raven. This device acts as an "all-in-one IoT solution that gives your car a brainpower boost," according to Digital Trends. This device connects your mobile phone, the internet, and your car to provide a smarter and more hands free experience for drivers of all ages. Features include security sensors and cameras, hand-gesture controls, social-GPS tracking, heads-up turn-by-turn navigation, digital speedometer display, a Wi-Fi hotspot, interactive social features, diagnostic monitoring, and more.
While not a "smart windshield", Raven is the first step towards a future of intelligent, in-vehicle technology. The hope for marketers is that these devices will develop into more sophisticated, marketing enabled channels that will provide a more customized experience than your average billboard. Eventually, vehicles can be part of the marketing automation process, and provide valuable insights to support ROI for businesses.
Sources:
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170106/RETAIL03/170109897/smart-windshields-seen-as-the-new-ad-billboard-inside-a-car
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/smart-windshields-could-transform-your-driving-experience-what-happens-when-they-get
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/raven-connected-car/
https://raven.is/pages/aging-drivers
http://www.scenic.org/billboards-a-sign-control/highway-beautification-act/117-hba-facts-a-figures
https://www.statista.com/topics/1197/car-drivers/
https://www.autobytel.com/car-buying-guides/features/10-new-cars-with-head-up-displays-130663/
http://continental-head-up-display.com/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa
http://dailytelescope.com/pr/ces-award-winning-connected-car-device-raven-hits-market-for-consumers/8071
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/questions-gm-ibm-s-car-marketing-system/306497/
In fact, the in-vehicle mobile and data-driven services industry is estimated to be a multi-billion dollar sector by 2030. Some technology focused companies, such as Magna International Inc., Samsung, LG, and Apple have already begun investing in AR technologies retrofitted for vehicles. Not only will this technology be available to future drivers, but it is likely to be projected right in front of your eyes as you attempt to keep an eye on the road.
That's right, introducing "smart windshields"!
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| Concept display illustration of Hitachi's smart windshield |
This new technology concept could be the next big thing not only for drivers, but for businesses. Currently, some vehicles already feature heads-up display features, including the new BMW 7 Series, Volvo XC90, Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and more. This feature may help the driver with turn-by-turn navigation, digitized speed display, lane departure warning, or adaptive cruise control. Even if your car does not have heads-up display pre-packaged for your vehicle, you can buy portable displays that can be installed on almost any car.
These capabilities provide added value to a vehicle, and an enhanced and possibly safer driving experience for the person behind the wheel. However, this also brings a new platform for marketing and advertising. The fact that businesses can now go from outside the car to the inside adds a whole new level of capabilities.
Bloomberg Intelligence Analyst, John Butler, expresses his positive opinions about the direction of this new marketing medium. He states:
“When you think of a person driving and what your needs are when you’re on a typical trip, it’s food, it’s fuel and its rest stops... Owning the inside of the car is critical, it’s really where the money is made. The real value is locked up in the ad opportunity.”
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| Some brands are already in your car, but how can smart windshields accelerate marketing tactics for these brands? |
Alex Webb, an author for Bloomberg, brilliantly demonstrates how this technology would function in his article published by Automotive News. He explains:
"Here’s how a smart windshield may work. A driver that’s close to running out of gas would see an alert pop up that notes the fuel situation and offers to find a nearby gas station. The car’s virtual assistant will offer a choice, again on the windshield, of two options, including directions to a station where the driver is eligible for a free cup of coffee -- an ad placed by the gas company that fits with the driver’s buying patterns, also known by his smart car."
Some mobile navigation applications, such as Google Maps, are already experimenting with advertising on GPS interfaces. However, the enhanced heads-up display would help bypass some of the legal issues with using mobile devices in a moving vehicle. By superimposing business information from maps with the driver's immediate line of sight and/or periphery could benefit the driver by helping to keep his or her eyes on the road, while making it even easier for companies to reach their audiences.
The possibilities are also endless for companies that may choose not to directly advertise to the consumer when he or she thinks they need something. Instead, they may use GPS technologies in-sync with AI technologies to advertise a particular restaurant based off of past eating patterns and work schedule, and order food when the driver is 'xx' minutes away from the physical location, or provide direction to the nearest repair shop if the "check engine" light appears.
Some experts are ecstatic by the idea that this technology may be available as early as 2020, whereas others are skeptical of the safety and security issues this would bring.
While heads-up display may help keep the driver looking forward and away from a screen in the middle of the vehicle's console, many argue that advertising on a heads-up display would be distracting to a driver as well. Some critics are very against the very idea of allowing a company to have access inside your vehicle when others' lives may be at stake in such a highly focused activity. Some automakers are even pushing for video content, in which even the idea would draw up major concerns for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government organization "responsible for keeping people safe on America's roadways."
On top of safety, security issues arise with this new technology. Matthew Hudson from Science Magazine brings to light an important concern of hackers taking over a driver's view of a vehicle, possibly maliciously. With this being a possible threat, researchers at the University of Washington (UW) are proactively building systems that would help reduce the risk of such dangers from occurring prior to the mass distribution of the technologies.
Some entrepreneurs have already started publicizing smart tech for your car, including the Raven. This device acts as an "all-in-one IoT solution that gives your car a brainpower boost," according to Digital Trends. This device connects your mobile phone, the internet, and your car to provide a smarter and more hands free experience for drivers of all ages. Features include security sensors and cameras, hand-gesture controls, social-GPS tracking, heads-up turn-by-turn navigation, digital speedometer display, a Wi-Fi hotspot, interactive social features, diagnostic monitoring, and more.
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| The Raven IoT car solution perched on top of the center console of a vehicle |
While not a "smart windshield", Raven is the first step towards a future of intelligent, in-vehicle technology. The hope for marketers is that these devices will develop into more sophisticated, marketing enabled channels that will provide a more customized experience than your average billboard. Eventually, vehicles can be part of the marketing automation process, and provide valuable insights to support ROI for businesses.
Sources:
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170106/RETAIL03/170109897/smart-windshields-seen-as-the-new-ad-billboard-inside-a-car
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/smart-windshields-could-transform-your-driving-experience-what-happens-when-they-get
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/raven-connected-car/
https://raven.is/pages/aging-drivers
http://www.scenic.org/billboards-a-sign-control/highway-beautification-act/117-hba-facts-a-figures
https://www.statista.com/topics/1197/car-drivers/
https://www.autobytel.com/car-buying-guides/features/10-new-cars-with-head-up-displays-130663/
http://continental-head-up-display.com/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa
http://dailytelescope.com/pr/ces-award-winning-connected-car-device-raven-hits-market-for-consumers/8071
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/questions-gm-ibm-s-car-marketing-system/306497/
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