As technology evolves we, as humans, become more and more physically disconnected from one another. GM is now pushing that one step further bring it’s new “Marketplace” commerce system to its infotainment systems. The system is designed to allow drivers to redeem gas coupons, order food, pay for coffee, pretty much anything you would usually have to get out of your car and interact with people to do now. GM has partnered with a few companies, including Dunkin’ Donuts, TGI Fridays, Shell, and ExxonMobil, among others. The system will be included in all new vehicles and updated OTA to vehicles on the road that are compatible. But, this isn’t all gravy as it will lead to things that aren’t so cool. Keep reading to find out more about GM’s new Marketplace and how it will ultimately be used to collect data and advertise.
GM’s Market Placing is Already Rolling Out
The Marketplace is designed to make your life easier, so you can order food on the go, reserve a hotel room, pay for or receive discounts on fuel, even find and pay for parking. Not a bad tool to have in some cases, especially if you live somewhere like Detroit, Chicago, or L.A. where parking not only comes at a premium but is also hard to find. It’ll even let you buy or extend your car’s 4G LTE packages and OnStar subscriptions. Gm has partnered with the following companies as of this system’s launch today:
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GM Marketplace Partners as of December 2017 |
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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. |
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Starbucks |
Offers another convenient way for customers to order ahead and enjoy their favorite 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) |
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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 favorite coffee and donut, at their preferred pickup location. |
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Wingstop |
Will allow you to skip the wait by re-ordering your favorites and paying ahead, so you can get home in time for the big game |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Priceline.com |
Gives drivers access to hundreds of thousands of hotels and exclusive hotel savings on the go. |
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Parkopedia |
Allows drivers to find, reserve and pay for parking, all at the click of a button. |
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Applebee’s |
Ensures customers are never too far from Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood whether close to home or miles away with the ability to locate their nearest restaurant, order featured menu items and reorder recent favorites through the convenience of their vehicle’s touchscreen. |
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IHOP |
Makes it easy for guests to enjoy hot, fresh all-day breakfast favorites 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. |
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Delivery.com |
empowers the neighborhood economy by enabling customers to order online from their favorite local restaurants, wine and spirits shops, grocery stores and laundry and dry-cleaning providers. |
But, what appears good at first always has a downside, and this program (and those that will follow from other automakers) has a couple of big ones.
GM Marketplace Datamining
First of all, we haven’t been given a copy of the terms and conditions for GM’s Marketplace quite yet, however, I’m willing to bet that there is a clause in there that says they will collect and analyze data about your purchases, routines, trends, etc. It’s kind of hard not to have your data mined these days as being in a connected world naturally means that even if you try to opt out of everything, there’s still something sucking in your data – how do you think Google and Facebook know how to show you ads for something you were looking at twenty minutes ago? Yeah, you can thank data mining for that. Well, I have a feeling that when Marketplace comes to your GM vehicle the aforementioned companies, as well as any other data company that wants to get on board, will get bombarded with data of your every trip, purchase, choice in fuel, driving habits, and even what you listen to on the radio. That’s right folks; this is a connected world that we live in and your car is just another hub to the internet. If that isn’t bad enough, this data will eventually be used against you too…
GM Marketplace Selective and Suggestive Advertising
So, now that we know GM will likely be farming your data, you should know that it’ll be put to good use as well. I’ve already mentioned what kind of data the Marketplace will likely collect, things like choice in fuel brands, where you travel to regularly, the types of purchases you make, and even the stores you frequent most. But, what will GM do with that data aside from selling it? Well, it will use that data to provide forced and suggestive advertising. Basically, it’s the same thing that Facebook and Google do now. If you go to a Shell station, for example, your infotainment system will likely display deals and sales from each station you’re near whenever you’re near them – a way to suggest you stop and spend your hard-earned dollar. Driving past an electronics store? Well, your infotainment system will be sure to show you that the new MacBook is on sale for $100 off. Gas gauge getting below a quarter-tank? Marketplace will tell you that Shell of ExxonMobil is $0.02 cheaper than the next gas station. What’s more is the fact that since you connect your phone to the infotainment system, it will be able to pull your browsing history and provide advertisements based on what you’ve browsed in the past few days – just like everywhere else on the internet. Yeah, that’s where we’re going folks, and it’s only going to get worse. Welcome to the future!
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