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The car dashboard is the greatest programming challenge for broadcasters today. Although radio remains the dominant media consumed in the car, the big boys of tech are confident that they can change this. And for good reason.
Much of the hype around the connected car has revolved around Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. With this technology, the driver is able to extend their favorite apps from their smartphone to their vehicle’s infotainment system. Apple and Google dominate the smartphone industry, and drivers are accustomed to using Bluetooth to connect smartphones to cars. So, it’s easy to understand their plans to enter the automotive infotainment industry. (There is even talk that Apple is designing a whole car!)
For as long as anyone can remember, the in-car media competition was between radio stations fighting for one of those 5 or 10 presets on the car radio. It’s a different story now as in-car competition includes on-demand streaming services, satellite radio, podcasts – in short, just about any audio media.
Listeners, increasingly, turn to their smartphones to access this content and research shows that consumers are more loyal to their smartphone than to their automobile. So that means that while each manufacturer has their own in-car system (Sync, InTune, Cue, MyLink, Uconnect, etc.) they really have to play nice with their customers’ smartphones.
Having WiFi in the car gives the driver all the more reason to pull out their smartphone in order to stream their favorite content, whether it be the latest Justin Bieber song or the newest podcast episode from Radiolab. So, what does this mean for your station? Simple – your mobile app is the way in. Whether it’s the in-car system, CarPlay or Android Auto, your mobile app makes sure that when your listener is in the car, your brand stays top of mind. And not just your main stream, but your podcasts, HD and digital channels.
The car is arguably the most important place for your station’s brand, and we can help you maintain your place there as this crucial ecosystem evolves.
If you’d like to learn more about how to stay connected in the car give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.
Originally published by Jacobs Media
