Commentary

Autonomous Vehicles Projected To Drive In-Car Advertising

Following mobile as the third screen, the car of the future is poised to become yet another screen where publishers and advertisers compete for attention.

A new report paints a picture of autonomous vehicles becoming a new frontier aggressively used by brands to build deeper digital relationships with customers.

The study by Forrester suggests that autonomous vehicles will reshape the global economy, dramatically impacting six industries: media, automotive, shipping and logistics, insurance, government and data security and privacy.

Forrester noted the two conflicting visons of self-driving cars: “Enthusiasts predict nirvana; commute time becomes leisure or productive time” and “skeptics foretell dystopia; mass unemployment.”

Autonomous cars will drive an advertising renaissance, according to the study. “Texting, setting the navigation and playing with the infotainment system all contribute to accidents,” states the report. “But in a world where transport is autonomous, people will consider the physical act of driving the distraction.”

Forrester suggests that the physical act of driving will be considered by some to be a nuisance that distracts them from more productive activities. This is projected to lead to an opportunity for brands to advertise on the newest customer touchpoints.

The next step is for car makers to moonlight as publishers, with an acceleration of investments in high tech infotainment.

Luxury brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are expected to focus less on traditional factors like high-performance engines and suspensions and move to differentiating features such as ultra-high definition audio and video and other technological gadgets in cars to entertain and inform those in the car.

When self-driving cars materialize in the market, car companies will act as publishers, partnering with brands, according to the study, suggesting that car companies will sell ad space and digital relationship opportunities inside the new device experience.

Forrester imagines that car windows will become screens, opaque from the outside but acting as infotainment screens inside.

For those not so keen on the idea of self-driving cars, it won’t be until the year 2025 and beyond that the majority of new vehicles sold will be autonomous, according to the study.

11 comments about "Autonomous Vehicles Projected To Drive In-Car Advertising".
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  1. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , July 31, 2017 at 3:05 p.m.

    THREE letters that say this will be a flop;  DVR.
    People use a DVR to record COMMERCIAL FREE, so
    why would they assume people would sit  through
    wall to wall advertising?  Please , the majority  of the general
    public is pretty dumbed-down, but they will see right through this.

    My money is on self-driving cars will be derailed because
    security will never be able to stay ahead of the hackers.

    I WILL NEVER Give up my steering wheel to a cluster of plastic circuit boards.
    BESIDES THAT, I LOVE TO DRIVE. "Driving will become the distraction? " Forrester must be a millennium  who has a smart phone as an appendage

    Why would I give this up, to watch TV?????

    The last thing we need is "Deeper Digital Relationship".

  2. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, July 31, 2017 at 3:08 p.m.

    As mentioned in the report, Mark, there are conflicting views on this.

  3. Joe Dominguez from RIDEPLAY tv, August 1, 2017 at 7:32 p.m.

    Chuck, Thank you for publishing this article.  RIDEPLAY tv is in tune with this concept and currently operating as a Rideshare Entertainment and Advertising platform in Rideshare cars now.  We receive positive feedback from rideshare passengers and drivers that the entertainment content and hyper local relevent advertising content is an added value to their rideshare experience.  We view the next generation will feauture original content and hyperlocal advertising in autonomous vehicles as the next step.  www.RIDEPLAY.tv  We are looking for strategic partnerships.

  4. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, August 1, 2017 at 8:54 p.m.

    I wrote about one of these rideshare, in-car TV advertising platforms last year ( https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/289448/targeted-advertising-moves-to-screens-in-back-seat.html )...is your system similar to Vugo?

  5. mike boland from BIA/Kelsey, August 3, 2017 at 4:06 p.m.

    The key is the media time that AVs will unlock. It will be an inflection point in addressable time, similar in magnitude to the time (micromoments) that the iphone unlocked in 2007. With AV's it will be roughly 52 minutes per day (the average American round trip commute) of potential incremental screen time. Here's the research i've done -- https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/15/your-in-car-attention-is-medias-next-battleground/

  6. Joe Dominguez from RIDEPLAY tv replied, August 3, 2017 at 5:43 p.m.

    Chuck,

    Yes, Vugo is also a pinoneer in this new Rideshare Advertising industry.  We started about the same time but took a more under the radar approach to ensure our drivers were satisfied with the amount of compensation and the ease of using our app.  The power is in the network!  Vugo is doing a great job too!

  7. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, August 3, 2017 at 6:22 p.m.

    Great point about the coming new media time, Mike. Though like with mobile, there will be a transition period.

  8. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , August 3, 2017 at 10:28 p.m.

    This is confusing. So people who use the AV will have no choice but to watch 52 minutes of commercials?  is there no off button?  Sounds like Rideshare is going to have a hard sell to their advertisers  for  just "projections" and "potential" viewers.  Are they sure, This will draw I-phone addicts away from their screen to view this one??   That's a hardsell, but sounds like they pumped the Uber/Lift guys to push it................but there still must be an OFF button somewhere. This stuff is developed , designed and promoted in cluster urban cities where people live on top of eachother.  There's a whole country out there that will never go near any of this.

  9. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, August 4, 2017 at 9:23 a.m.

    Mark, the technocrats are already working on a smart pillow that feeds you the slightly muted soundtracks of commercials while you sleep---or try to sleep. These will be distributed to Millennials free of charge and be supposrted exclusively by advertising. Is this the end of radio as we have known it? Stay tuned.

  10. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , August 5, 2017 at 6:09 p.m.

    AHHHHHHHH.........the Serta Smart and Safe  Space!!   Got the Brand Name for the pillows,
    "Soft as  'Snowflakes' "

  11. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , August 5, 2017 at 6:14 p.m.

    I just noticed the picture above with the guy with his hands on his head. (Wait it may be a chick),  In the windshield it says, "SELF DRIVING".  Does that mean the inanimate car is driving "itself", or does it mean, Self Driving as in"I'm driving My Self"?   Better hang on to that wheel!!

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