In recent weeks, I’ve made a number of “connected car” presentations at various industry events. Last week, it was Borrell’s LOAC 2016 conference. Next week, I’m honored to be part of a great panel at Radiodays Europe, held in Paris this year.
Everyone in radio is buzzing about the “connected car” – and for good reason. It will most certainly impact broadcasters right where it matters – in usage, and ultimately, the bottom line. But of course, that cuts both ways. Smart thinking, great planning, and a concerted effort by the radio industry could tip things in a positive direction.
But it will require embracing disruption, investing in expertise and research, developing great strategies, and then exerting a unified front to get it done.
Consider for a moment ride services like Uber and Lyft. They both represent disruption, not just to the taxi business, but to the auto industry as well. Better driving alternatives for Millennials, in particular, will ultimately transform the car business. In fact, reduced gasoline consumption and a smaller carbon footprint are just two of the outgrowths of these mobile ride brands. But their success – especially if their commuting services take off in markets around the country – will most definitely lead to the sales of fewer cars.
This TED Talk by Uber CEO Travis Kalanick speaks to the coming realities of shared commuting and carpooling – all leading to the ultimate truth that automakers will have to recalibrate their thinking and their goals. This has implications on many different businesses, from auto insurers to dashboard media providers.
Email recipients: click here to watch Uber CEO Travis Kalanick TED Talk video
The other side of the equation is autonomous cars. And while Millennials have been the catalysts for making Uber a phenomenon, it may be Boomers who lead the way with self-driving cars. Automotive journalist and expert Doug Newcomb believes that as we age, the attraction of vehicles that can deliver us safely to our destinations will become a major trend.
Bloomberg recently quoted the director of M.I.T.’s AgeLab, Joseph Coughlin, who contends that Baby Boomers are in the forefront of the autonomous phenomenon:
“For the first time in history, older people are going to be the lifestyle leaders of a new technology.”
Not everyone’s sold, of course. The idea of cars that drive themselves is foreign to most people who are still trying to get their head around the concept.
To that end, here’s a highlight from our soon-to-be-released Techsurvey12 – consumer attitudes toward self-driving cars. As the chart below shows, three in ten are strongly against or leaning against autonomous cars. Many others aren’t sure or say they need more information to make a decision. But nearly a quarter have a positive feeling about this tech phenomenon.
But in the end, it will not matter, and the truly smart players in these spaces know what’s around the corner. They are already planning and strategizing for the day that shared mobility, online taxi dispatch companies, and autonomous cars will be in the mainstream.
For GM, it’s an investment in Lyft. For Spotify, it’s connecting with Uber so that passengers can hear their personal playlists while they go from Point A to Point B.
As I told many newspaper publishers and TV owners and operators at the LOAC group, the day when “drivers” can read the daily headlines or watch Action News videos while they commute to work will be here sooner than we think.
The smartest companies will start planning for these eventualities with services and content that meet the changing needs of mobile consumers. The broadcasting industry – both TV and radio – have a remarkable opportunity to actually get ahead of the curve.
But it will require initiatives, leadership, and a united front to recognize that a changing transportation revolution driven by technology is a call to action.
These changes in the ways consumer transport themselves are coming sooner than we think.
So who’s doing the driving?
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Asking consumers what they think of an experience they haven’t tried yet is like asking Galileo if he wants a new Buick.
I appreciate trying to get a feel for what’s coming. I just think that asking respondents I have a friend at P&G who told me that they shy away from asking respondents to “think”, especially when it’s based on something where they haven’t experienced it yet.
They will accrue the habits and beliefs on these habits after experiencing it… if only as a guest passenger.
In spite of this, I still think you are smarter than the average bear. You have a long history of finding the pic-a-nic baskets.
As you pointed out these new habits are coming sooner than later.
I think the easiest way to think of the experience is the same as when you are a passenger in a new Chevy (right now) when the car has unlimited WIFI/4G service. I was recently a passenger on a 600 trip in such an equipped car. Radio was not where I put my attention. Woof.
I watched a movie, a series of youtube videos, checked my email, plated 8Ball pocket pool and created a PP presentation just before we got to our destination. I only had 2 instances of no 4G service. A very pleasurable experience.
Sean, you’re right that people cannot give you a reasonable opinion about something they’re never experienced. But the point of asking about autonomous now is because there’s been so much publicity about this technology that will very likely disrupt something we engage in every day. We’ll also be able to track those changing attitudes over time in subsequent Techsurveys.
My favorite quote from Henry Ford is well-known: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” That sums up the autonomous situation, and it’s another reason why the automakers of today are forging ahead with this technology. Thanks for the comment.