Photo by Marian Chinciusan on Unsplash The end of authenticity. And… Will Amazon finally make TV’s smart AND friendly? Plus rants and raves about Ford halting production of most sedans, the phenomenon of micro-merchandising, and how Sherwin-Williams is using augmented reality. It’s episode 82 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re

I have written extensively about the challenges radio will have in cars with a dashboard which is built to sync with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. I have also written a lot about what happens to radio when cars drive themselves (hint: It gets ugly). But there’s another force out there and it’s a force in the other direction. And that force is your own voice. Ford has announced an integration between their Sync platform and Amazon’s Alexa voice control system: [Starting] thi

Ford is going all-in on bringing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the auto dashboard: Ford is making Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available on all 2017 vehicles equipped with Sync 3 in North America, starting with the all-new Ford Escape. Owners of 2016 vehicles equipped with Sync 3 will get an opportunity to upgrade “later in the year,” the company said without providing details. What this means is that, beginning with 2017 auto models, the new car will essentially become

Never let it be said that the automakers don’t listen to feedback, because when it comes to Ford’s clunky Sync platform, they got an earful. And guess what? Ford responded. This week the automaker introduced the latest and greatest version of its Sync infotainment system, and it looks great. It will make its debut on at least some Ford 2016 models, meaning it will be in the showroom in the fall of 2015, just months from now. The primary value proposition of the platform has l

In the race to exploit new digital opportunities, Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker describes three “consumer Internet ‘white spaces’ yet to be re-imagined.” Two of them are the “ear” and the car. And she describes the latter as “largely untapped.” “Untapped” no more. Consider today’s automotive news headlines: General Motors Co. is expected to announce today a partnership with AT&T that will bring embedded 4G LTE mobile Internet access into most 2015 GM vehicles sold in th

The title of the piece in USA Today says it all:  “YouTube spends $100 million to redefine TV.” Beginning this month, YouTube is gambling $100 million that by seeding professional production firms such as Young Hollywood — whose slate of YouTube-only programming premieres Monday — it will draw more eyeballs for longer viewing sessions. YouTube is a massive distribution channel, but not a creator of content.  So what to do?  How about invest in content creation!  And so they a

That’s what Ford is arguing. Then again, I am not so sure Ford knows why folks listen to the radio or why they keep listening. After all, it’s not Ford who decided to put radios in cars.  You and I – the consumers – drove that decision for them. And it’s not you and I – the consumers – who are telling Ford “we want HD radio.”  That clarion call is coming from somewhere else – probably from a company which stands to gain lots if HD becomes an industry standard and has everythi

Here’s a peek at Toyota’s new Entune in-dash entertainment system, which includes Pandora, iheartradio, local search, movie tickets, dinner reservations, and a whole lot more – all powered by an app you download to your mobile device and driven by your phone’s data plan. Interestingly, Radio Ink reports that the system includes HD Radio and SiriusXM, too, but it’s telling that those assets are nowhere to be found in Toyota’s promotional video or on the Entune page of its webs

From Bloomberg: By early next year, Ford Motor Co. will be shipping Fiesta cars with software that operates Pandora via voice controls. Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz is promoting the radio service in vehicles, and Pioneer Electronics sells car stereos that include Pandora. The advantage of Pandora is marketers can target users based on age, gender, home ZIP code and musical taste, letting them deliver more relevant ads than what’s possible on regular radio, said Scott Kelly, dig

Last week Inside Radio featured one of the most important items of the year, and I'm guessing the significance of it evaded many readers: Auto rebound has Ford reinvesting in media, but it’s not “buying off the shelf.” The automaker’s seasonally adjusted year-over-year sales rate is up 17%, according to Ford Motor Media-Team Detroit senior partner and managing director Kevin Brown. “We’re all about consumer engagement and brand advocacy,” Brown says. That means giving consume