Connected Cars Offer OEMs Chance To Boost Brand Awareness Through Information, Services

OEMs have an opportunity to enhance their brand relationship with customers via the connected car, a Strategy Analytics report said Tuesday. While much of the focus on the connected car is around infotainment, location-based services and big data, providing vehicle-related information and services while drivers are outside the vehicle gives OEMs another consumer touch point and the chance to provide services that advance the OEM’s brand perception, Strategy Analytics said. The research firm’s survey of consumers in the U.S., Western Europe and China found that consumers were more likely to want to share vehicle data such as vehicle fault messages, service and maintenance reminders, and vehicle health reports with dealers than they were with independent garages. The challenge for OEMs when providing services is “to increase user awareness and make it easy for the consumer to receive and access the information,” analyst Chris Schreiner said. OEMs will have to educate dealers about the benefits these types of features have for consumers and how to communicate the benefits to them, analyst Kevin Nolan said.