Lexus To Start Spamming Car Buyers In Their Cars

techmuse writes "Lexus has announced plans to send targeted messages to buyers of its cars based on the buyer's zip code and vehicle type. Unlike regular spam, these messages will be delivered directly to the buyer's vehicle, and will play to the vehicle's occupants as audio. Lexus has promised to make the messages relevant to the car buyers." Imagine the fun that some targeted malware could do — not that such a thing could happen to a Lexus.

Amazing

I'm stunned that Lexus just made me appreciate my crappy Neon.

Re:Amazing

If the lexus buyers are compensating for something... what sort of spam do you think would be relevant?

Re:Amazing

Hair transplants?

Lexus has promised to make the messages relevant

Lexus has promised to make the messages relevant to the car buyers.

Genius. Because who is more likely to be ready to buy a new car than someone that just bought a brand new one.

Re:Lexus has promised to make the messages relevan

Bucci says he's sensitive to luxury-car owners who may not want to participate. "Many of our owners enjoy their car as a cocoon," he says.

They know this, and yet they violate the sanctity of that cocoon anyways. How self-destructively stupid can you get? Can you give the Darwin award to a car maker?

Will there be an advertisement where the driver rolls down their window to give someone some Grey Poupon and is overcome by the noise of nearby jackhammers, then rolls up the window and is blissfully appreciating the quiet when suddenly they're startled out of their relaxation by a blaring message from Toyota recommending that they investigate a nearby 5 star restaurant, the marketing department having recently decided to increase the volume because a large segment of their target demographic is hard of hearing?

Stupid

They claim it won't be used to bombard customers with ads...yah right. If the capability exists, it will eventually be used for advertising.

So now, I get to spend a huge premium so I can have a car with the Lexus name, thereby making all the other suburbanites jealous, and on top of it I get "targeted" advertisements. I'll think about getting a car that spews ads at me if and only if you give me the car for free.

On the other hand, if you subscribe to the prevailing theory as to why people buy a Lexus in the first place, all of the "targeted" ads will be for Viagra.

Re:Stupid

Indeed.

The system will be optional (not sure if that means opt-in or opt-out, though). But who would actually want this kind of thing? At best, the messages will be fairly relevant to the particular buyer (like TFA says, a "wine review" being delivered to a wine connoisseur)--but people already have plenty of ways to get that kind of information (web sites, magazines, etc.), and many of them work in cars (radio, podcasts, etc.).

At worst, it will be a barrage of spam, and everyone will opt-out. Most probably, the messages will be ads thinly veiled as relevant information (e.g. positive reviews of products from partnering companies), which people will ultimately become annoyed by.

I can't see this doing anything other than bothering customers.

Re:Stupid

How long before the first law suit claiming the ad is responsible for whatever driving calamity happened?

I can't believe this made it through a thought/mouth filter.

Re:Stupid

How long before the first law suit claiming the ad is responsible for whatever driving calamity happened? I can't believe this made it through a thought/mouth filter.

In my last job I wrote software to control variable message signs on freeways. A lot of effort was put into selecting the messages which are displayed on the principle that any message is a distraction from driving and must be justified if it is presented at all.

Re:Stupid

The worst mistake I made when I bought my Lexus is that I gave the dealer my cell phone number. Now, I routinely get robo calls from Lexus, reminding about service, my birthday, customer appreciation events, etc... It drives me apoplectic! I have complained multiple times to no avail. It is mind boggling to me that such a quality oriented organization can so completely botch such a simple thing. They buy this new technology that allows them to reach out and annoy their customers and now they can't stop using it.
 

Re:Stupid

Take your car back and ask for a refund. Even if you don't get it at least you will have made it very clear to the dealership that you are extremely unhappy and want to take back your business.

Also try to get in touch with someone fairly high up in Toyota's management / marketing at their corporate HQ and explain to them that you will never buy Toyota again and why. In the mean time keep complaining on the Internet and contact the local business / consumer watch-dogs (Better Business Bureau or whatever) and tell them that it was not made clear to you that your information would be used this way and that you are outraged.

It's a lot of work but this crap has to stop.

I'm self-employed and actually work as an advertiser (and I expect to wake up next to a dead horse tomorrow for admitting that here on /.) but I've never been tempted to think up ways to annoy users like this. In fact, I'm of the mind that making customers happy is the best road to success. I know. It's a pretty radical way to think. Give customers what they want, customers pay you and, *gasp*, come back!

I guess I'm old fashioned. I watch all of my colleagues come out with all of these flash ads and flash pop-ups etc. and I scratch my head wondering how these things catch on. I've had good success sticking to clean, simple, non-obtrusive ads and have never received a single complaint. Consequently my web-site user-base and my bottom line grow month after month (who'd'a thunk it!?). I will never understand why people think there is money in pissing people off.

If these ads really are relevant to the buyer

If these ads really are relevant to the buyer, my first and only ad would start with "To stop receiving this 'service'..."

Why, Lexus, Why?

Have these people lost their minds? I spend $60,000 for an automobile and now it will spam me while driving it? Are you serious, Lexus? What could possibly motivate these people to want to spam their customers AFTER a purchase? We are getting closer and closer to Idiocracy [imdb.com].

Re:Why, Lexus, Why?

Have these people lost their minds? I spend $60,000 for an automobile and now it will spam me while driving it? Are you serious, Lexus? What could possibly motivate these people to want to spam their customers AFTER a purchase?

"Dude. He just bought the car."

"Really?"

"Serious."

"What else will he buy? Lets try to sell him a bridge."

"No, no. I've got something better. Let's get him to agree to getting ads in the premium-priced car he just purchased."

"Brilliant! This is gonna be so good..."

"OK. Serious face, now. Prepare to witness epic salesmanship."

Re:Why, Lexus, Why?

I spend $60,000 for an automobile and now it will spam me while driving it?

First of all, it's technically not spam, since you have to sign up to receive it (it's basically an audio newsletter). Second, it arrives in your inbox before you start driving, not while you're driving.

I would never sign up for it, but it's not quite what TFS suggests it is (surprise, surprise).

Promise to be discerning and restrained.

Toyota officials promise to be discerning and restrained.
"We're not going to barrage customers with marketing messages," vows Jon Bucci, vice president of Toyota's U.S. advanced technology unit.

Yeah... and cable television will always be uncensored and commercial free... and sattilite radio will always be uncensored and commercial free...

Nobody read the article...

...which states that drivers can decide whether or not to play the messages.
On the plus side, even for those that do decide to listen to the messages, this will only last until the first time somebody has an accident while listening to the message.

Security?

What's that you say? It might be like other software and have occasional security holes in it? I'm sure that won't be a problem [xkcd.com].

I wonder if Lexus owners

detect the implied insult?

"If you're gullible enough to spend $60k on a Toyota, here's a deal for you!"

The first time I heard one of those ads..

I would drive straight down to the dealership-- no, make that *into* the dealership...

OTOH, it fits with the target market quite well. The whole point of the Lexus experience, based on their advertising and on the way they're driven, is to insulate you from the road. You don't have to pay attention at all! You can't hear the road, you don't need to be skilled enough to park, just carry on with your make-up and your phone calls. Are they even available with turn signals?

Imagine all the possibilities

Scene: Inside Lexus Car

Driver: (turns on ignition, car starts)
Lexus: Good morning Driver 1, thank you for choosing lexus. Today's commute is brought to you by McDonalds, why don't you stop in on your way to work and get a McGriddle and McCoffee?
Driver: (backs out of driveway, heads down the road) No thanks car, It'll just be to work and back today.
Lexus: (tone of car changes to be deeper and more aggressive) I'm afraid I can't let you do that Driver 1. (car auto steers to nearest McDonalds, forces driver to purchase McGriddle and McCoffee)

Clippy the Lexus says...

Clippy the Lexus says...

"It looks like you are driving to your ex-girlfriends house; should I contact the highway patrol to schedule a breathalyzer test?"

-- Terry

Re:This won't go well

I was thinking more along the lines of a trojan commercial if the car is parked but the rear shocks are registering motion.

Or maybe Planned Parenthood at that point...

Re:This won't go well

I see - you're near - a - Starbucks. Don't you - want - to get - a - latte?

Is that with the William Shatner voice module turned on?

Re:I'm not familiar with Lexus models . . .

There is no "too big", there is only "insufficient force".