Selling safety is a difficult task.
Even in times of economic prosperity, safety and Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) must compete with other, more attractive options for the customer’s attention and money. Many of these systems, such as upgraded audio or navigation, are used daily, making their value more apparent to the consumer.
Nonetheless, safety systems aren’t always designed for everyday use. Many are intended as emergency backup systems should the driver need assistance, and many consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for something that may only be useful at some time in the future. However, something unfortunate might happen to consumers that preclude the decision from ever being taken in the first place—and by that time, it would be too late.
To be sure, many advanced safety systems available today simply are unknown to most consumers. Moreover, many of the most advanced safety and driver assistance systems are available—at least initially—only on the most expensive of luxury models. As a result, many consumers might not even understand the system enough to feel comfortable enough buying it.
The two major contributors to the marketability of ADAS and safety systems are availability and customer awareness.
Availability and awareness
In one consistent trend within the ADAS segment, OEMs have made a concerted effort to expand the availability of their safety systems. After all, ADAS research and development costs can be—and generally are— significant, and OEMs must find a way to cover those costs and make the development process worthwhile.
So, instead of limiting the best safety options to a flagship model, the applications are shared across multiple models, providing OEMs a greater chance for more unit sales and giving customers more opportunities to experience as well as reap benefits from the most advanced automotive technologies available.
It’s no surprise then to see availability growing consistently for the industry’s most high-tech developments.
The next step in selling safety is to make sure the customer is aware of the options available, an area that previously had been lacking following the introduction of many new, advanced driver-assist technologies.
Bring on the Ads
Mercedes-Benz has been one of the most visible OEMs in advertising several of its advanced driver assistance systems. Although it also has had some of these systems available on production models for several years, it was the introduction of the 2010 E-Class and the Attention Assist option that really brought safety advertisements to the forefront.
The Mercedes-Benz television advertisement “Dreams” features a quiet nighttime drive through a dark countryside with a soft lullaby playing in the background. The driver pulls over and several fictional characters are pushed out of the vehicle, while text explains that Attention Assist keeps the driver awake and alert.
Another advertisement from Mercedes-Benz illustrates the benefits of the Brake Assist Plus system, showing a disappointed Grim Reaper character after the Mercedes vehicle fails to crash while he distracts the driver. Yet another shows a husband lulled to sleep in the car while his wife sings their child to sleep, only to be awakened before drifting off the roadway by the lane departure warning system.
These are simple scenarios, but the advertisements have hit an emotional chord with viewers—emotions that will pull consumers into showrooms. It’s important to connect these technologies with real-world examples with which drivers can identify, and OEMs and their marketing teams have begun to do just that.
Many other OEMs have ADAS-related advertisements as well, and each strives to appeal to its customers.
Getting Noticed
It was slow going initially following the appearance of several advanced driver assistance systems on the market, particularly as brand-new systems like Side Object Detection and Driver Monitoring were introduced, and as Adaptive Cruise Control and Night Vision were just gaining traction. But for the average consumer, these technologies didn’t even exist—or so they thought.
Even if a customer was perusing an options list, it isn’t always easy to intuit the functionality of an option, based on a name in a price list. The branding of such systems is all but a necessity, giving OEMs the chance to put their own spin on a particular function, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the consumer to understand its benefits.
Thankfully, however, after only a short period of time during which these ADAS were more widely available but still unknown, OEMs have wised up and have begun to advertise some of the most innovative and distinctive functions they can offer a consumer.
The hope is that the combination of availability and awareness will increase sales, if not for the individual technologies, then at least for the brand as a whole. But at the very least, overall public awareness will grow, with more people knowing just what their vehicles today are capable of. And once that happens, OEMs and consumers will feed off of that knowledge, and ADAS and safety systems will continue to grow in visibility and importance.
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