Seven international companies that supply various technologies to auto companies have formed an alliance focused on the connected car.
Called The Autolabs, the group is made up of companies that sell all kinds of data, including infotainment, to automakers. Founding members are: Cogniance, CloudMade, Navmii, Parkopedia, peiker, Pelagicore and Nebula Systems.
The Autolabs’ goal is to help carmakers build connected vehicles that entice Millennials “into lifelong brand loyalty,” according to the alliance.
Millennials are expected to make up 52% of the car-buying demo by 2020. The Autolabs was founded to grapple with the demographic shift that will change the nature of the auto industry, according to the companies. Millennials think and behave differently from all other age groups before them; they consume in new ways, thinking in terms of digital services, not products. “The automotive industry’s in-car experiences must follow this model to compete, or risk losing a generation to new, software-driven competitors,” says CloudMade CEO Juha Christensen.
By partnering with the members of The Autolabs, auto manufacturers can move from being product-centric brands into digitally-native, Millennial-ready brands, with profitable services that transform their offerings, according to the group.
Over the next few years, The Autolabs plans to operate labs across the world, fostering partnerships between auto manufacturers and technology companies. The initial facilities will be located in Silicon Valley and Stuttgart.
#GetMillennialReady is the inaugural PR and social media campaign.