In-Vehicle Connectivity Takes the Front Seat

In-car connected services will affect car purchases and marketer pathways

The US in-car audience is massive. More than 105.6 million people drove to work solo in 2011, according to US Census data. This figure represented 76.4% of all employed people in the US over the age of 16. Add in those who carpool and the figure spikes to 86%.

In the next three years, this group will be increasingly available to marketers via in-vehicle smartphone data connections and integrated applications (sometimes referred to in the industry as telematics) developed specifically for use inside an automobile, according to a new eMarketer report, “Connected Cars as the Fifth Screen: A Market of Millions Connected by Asphalt.”

And music listening in another primary connected car activity. Use of smartphone apps for services like Pandora or Spotify for in-car music listening has shown rapid growth, rising from 6% of US mobile phone owners in 2010 to 17% in 2012, according to a survey by Arbitron. Not surprisingly, music services have been an active venue for third-party connected-car partnerships with automakers.

Beyond maps, music and voice communications, consumers express interest in a host of in-car media options, including browsing the internet and watching streaming video. Some of the first forays into this realm are already happening, with services that read news updates, allow Facebook interaction or deliver on-demand content.

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