Autonomous cars are a hot topic these days. While we have no truly autonomous cars (i.e. cars that let you operate them sans steering wheel and pedals) at this time, we have seen rapid development toward wide adoption of cars that will pilot themselves. In fact, some brands like Volvo have announced plans to start selling self-driving cars to the public by 2022.
As this technology-filled future becomes a reality, what effect should we expect it to have on traditional signage? Will people be more connected to their surroundings since they don’t have to have eyes in front of them or will we see people disconnect entirely? (Perhaps a little bit of both?) Let’s take a look.
The Appeal of Traditional Signage
Traditional signage has been a go-to tactic for commercial real estate professionals for several reasons. For one, it’s been around for years and is proven in the industry. Second, there can be potential cost savings compared to other forms of advertising (e.g. television commercials, radio spots, etc.). Third, there’s been a guaranteed market—perhaps until now—in the form of commuter traffic. What’s not to like about traditional signage?
The Potential Impact of Autonomous Cars
As hinted at above, the rise of autonomous cars can bring potentially positive or negative effects on traditional signage for commercial real estate professionals. If we take a glass-half-full approach, autonomous cars will allow people to become more connected to their surroundings since they don’t have to focus on the road so much. On the glass-half-empty side, they might take their eyes off of their surroundings completely and focus on their laptop or phone instead.
The truth is likely somewhere in between and CRE pros will need to be proactive and adapt their marketing techniques appropriately. Expect to see signage options in the future that don’t exist today, like displays on the dashboard or advertising built into the vehicle by the manufacturer. Either way, autonomous cars will have an impact that you’ll need to monitor.
Why Importance of Data
In the end, staying tuned to the market is more important than ever for CRE pros. Reporting will continue to be crucial for making marketing decisions. As we approach an age of autonomous cars, it’s time to pay attention to our own data so we can make smart marketing and budgeting allocations for each and every one of your tactics, including traditional signage. With cloud-based solutions like Quarem, you can organize and report on your entire portfolio of real estate, whether you’re a Tenant, Landlord, or Broker. Organizing your data in a cloud-based system gives you the power to make better business decisions.
Stay ahead of changes coming to our industry by investing in a CRE software solution that will centralize your data and keep you informed. Request a demo of Quarem today.
