General Motors customers will be able to order and pay for their morning coffee by tapping their in-vehicle touchscreen via a new commerce platform that will allow a range of on-demand reservations and purchases from inside the car.
GM said that ‘Marketplace’ allows customers to order food, find the closest gas station to save on fuel, and make dinner reservations on the go. It will be made available to ‘drivers of eligible Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles’.
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Marketplace also features a “Shop” section dedicated to offers specific to GM vehicles, for instance purchasing Wi-Fi data, discounts for an oil change or deals on GM accessories. Simple on-screen notifications can identify relevant offers, GM said.
“The average American spends 46 minutes per day on the road driving. Leveraging connectivity and our unique data capabilities, we have an opportunity to make every trip more productive and give our customers time back,” said Santiago Chamorro, vice president for Global Connected Customer Experience, GM. “Marketplace is the first of a suite of new personalisation features that we will roll out over the next 12 to 18 months to nearly four million US drivers.”
Leveraging the embedded 4G LTE connectivity, GM is adding Marketplace to millions of existing 2017 and 2018 model-year cars, trucks and crossovers that have compatible infotainment systems, with continued rollout to compatible new vehicles. A separate data plan is not required to use Marketplace.
“For most retailers and consumer brands the daily commute is the only time not accessible in a consumers’ day,” said Chamorro. “Marketplace gives merchants the ability to more safely engage with drivers and passengers in a meaningful way that provides true value for our customers.”
Can be used while driving
Marketplace is designed to be used while driving. It leverages machine learning from real-time interaction data, such as location, time of day and a driver’s established digital relationship with third-party merchants, to offer highly personalised experiences, GM claims.
Adhering to industry distracted driving guidelines, as well as GM’s strict in-house safety guiding principles, GM designs its in-vehicle systems to ‘minimise manual interactions, helping drivers keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel’.
The first brands accessible through Marketplace [and listed below by GM] include:
- GM lets customers buy 4G LTE Data packages, extend their OnStar subscription or receive offers for certified service, parts and accessories for their specific vehicle.
- Starbucks offers another convenient way for customers to order ahead and enjoy their favourite handcrafted beverage or food item. And as part of the Starbucks Rewards program, members enjoy more value by earning Rewards towards free food and drink. (Early 2018)
- Dunkin’ Donuts will help customers start their day off right through an experience that allows DD Perks members to preorder and pay onscreen for their favourite coffee and donut, at their preferred pickup location.
- Wingstop will allow you to skip the wait by re-ordering your favourites and paying ahead, so you can get home in time for the big game
- TGI Fridays will let customers schedule a table reservation for them and their closest friends and family when they need a break from the week.
- Shell will enable the exceptional driver experience, providing ease of payment and savings with INSTANT GOLD STATUS in the Fuel Rewards program. Customers’ closest Shell station will be identified and station amenities showcased among the largest fuel station network in the U.S., with the ability to pay in-dash coming soon.
- ExxonMobil will quickly locate Exxon and Mobil fuel stations with details of what they offer, route you there and get you back on the road faster.
- Priceline.com gives drivers access to hundreds of thousands of hotels and exclusive hotel savings on the go.
- Parkopedia allows drivers to find, reserve and pay for parking, all at the click of a button.
- Applebee’s ensures customers are never too far from Eatin’ Good in the Neighbourhood whether close to home or miles away with the ability to locate their nearest restaurant, order featured menu items and reorder recent favourites through the convenience of their vehicle’s touchscreen.
- IHOP makes it easy for guests to enjoy hot, fresh all-day breakfast favourites like fluffy buttermilk pancakes on the go, thanks to safe and secure on-dash ordering and location service capabilities that help search and find the nearest restaurant for pickup.
- delivery.com empowers the neighbourhood economy by enabling customers to order online from their favourite local restaurants, wine and spirits shops, grocery stores and laundry and dry-cleaning providers.
To allow merchants to efficiently and quickly integrate their content as part of the in-vehicle Marketplace ecosystem, General Motors is working with three main platform partners: Xevo (www.xevo.com) in Seattle, Washington; Conversable (www.conversable.com) in Austin, Texas; and Sionic Mobile (www.sionicmobile.com) in Atlanta, Georgia. Merchants interested in Marketplace can contact the above platform partners or email GM at Marketplace@onstar.com.
