Dive Brief:
- IBM and General Motors have teamed up to create OnStar Go, what an IBM press release describes as a “cognitive mobility platform” that will allow GM drivers to connect with brands.
- OnStar Go is expected to roll out early next year and will allow drivers to connect and interact with brands, and will deliver personalized content through the dashboard and digital channels supported by the OnStar Go ecosystem.
- ExxonMobil, Glympse, iHeartRadio, Mastercard and Parkopedia are the first brands to join the OnStar Go platform.
Dive Insight:
Automakers are rapidly working to adjust to the digital world. Late last month Ford announced a CEO for its Ford Smart Mobility LLC. division designed to run like a startup and focus on mobility solutions.
GM’s mobility platform to be placed inside its vehicles adds another element – artificial intelligence powered by IBM’s Watson. For GM customers this means Watson will learn their preferences and apply machine learning to uncover patterns that brands and marketers can then tap for personalized, location-based messaging essentially becoming another device in an overall mobile marketing strategy.
As machine learning and AI open up new opportunities for brands to engage with consumers, IBM Watson is emerging as an early leader. The division is already working with a number of brands, including Staples and The Weather Company, to power chatbots and is also supporting cognitive ads. Going forward, the company is likely to face competition in attracting brands now that Salesforce has launched its own AI solution called Einstein.
“On average, people in the U.S. spend more than 46 minutes per day in their car and are looking for ways to optimize their time. By leveraging OnStar’s connectivity and combining it with the power of Watson, we’re looking to provide safer, simpler and better solutions to make our customers’ mobility experience more valuable and productive,” said Phil Abram, Executive Director, GM Connected Products and Strategy, in the release.