IN OUR HEADS
July 24, 2025
Key Takeaways:
- Legacy automotive brands face growing pressure to meet the expectations of tech-savvy drivers accustomed to seamless, software-driven experiences.
- Innovations from new EV disruptors have shifted industry benchmarks, making connectivity and convenience nonnegotiable features.
- Today’s connected tech offers a chance to guide drivers through complex features with in-the-moment support, intuitive tips, and experience design that builds confidence every time they hit the road.
- The future of the automotive industry depends on how well brands anticipate individual needs—using AI, real-time data and context-aware messaging to build meaningful, lasting loyalty.
What is a legacy brand in today’s auto market? It’s a name built on decades of engineering, reputation and customer trust—rooted in hardware excellence and manufacturing scale. But today, these metal makers are racing to catch up with a new wave of software-first disruptors redefining what drivers expect. Walk into any dealership and you’ll see more screens, apps and sensors than ever. Yet for many drivers, especially those used to seamless digital experiences, the journey still feels behind.
The future of the automotive industry isn’t just electric. It’s intelligent, personalized and frictionless. Legacy success was built on powertrains and sheet metal, but today’s race is shaped by those who think and move like tech companies.
Software-Led Disruptors Reshaped the Standard
No conversation about the impact of Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and the wave of software-first disruptors it inspired is complete without a look at how they’ve redefined the role of software in the driving experience. With over-the-air updates, predictive alerts and interfaces modeled after smartphones, tech-forward automakers have reshaped the baseline. Convenience and connectivity now sit at the core of the driving experience, rather than at its edges. But as screen-dominant systems become more common, drivers are finding that complexity can undermine usability. Across the industry, there’s growing recognition that effective in-car design means balancing digital innovation with physical, tactile controls.
Shifting expectations are rippling across the market. Today’s drivers want vehicles anticipating needs, not ones requiring a trip to the dealer for a software patch. They’re used to tech that adapts to their habits, understands their preferences and makes decisions on their behalf. For traditional automakers, success now depends more on intelligent software than raw horsepower.
But intelligence is how vehicles communicate. Like the onboarding walkthroughs that used to greet you after an iPhone update, in-car systems must guide drivers through new, mission-critical features before they even hit the road. Context-aware support, delivered at the right moment, transforms unfamiliar tech into something intuitive and earns trust faster than any spec sheet.
A Market Caught in Mental Limbo
Here’s the rub: Even as electric vehicles flood the market, a deeper tension is emerging between what drivers want, what they need and what they believe legacy brands can actually deliver. The electric future feels inevitable, but also increasingly uncertain, shaped by shifting political forces and regulatory volatility. For automakers, that instability is pushing focus away from the powertrain and toward smarter, software-driven experiences—ones that can adapt quickly, scale digitally and meet evolving expectations head-on.
The gap presents a clear opening. As consumer trends in the automotive industry skew toward smart, connected and green, many drivers still question whether traditional OEMs can check all three boxes. The result is a strange form of brand paralysis. People want vehicles that think ahead, but they hesitate, unsure if legacy names can deliver that kind of experience.
Legacy Brands, Stuck in Neutral?
So, what is a legacy brand to do? The challenge is just as much cultural as it is technical. Many of these companies have built their reputations on reliability and performance, leaving user experience in the rearview mirror. Shifting from engine tuning to software tuning requires a different mindset.
Some are trying, but often, the execution misses the mark. Charging for basic features or hiding functionality behind subscription walls only adds friction. Others bury innovation under layers of outdated systems and processes. It sends the message that tech is an add-on, not a foundation.
Turning Connected Tech into Competitive Edge
There’s a better way. Legacy brands already sit on a goldmine of data—from vehicle sensors to CRM platforms—that can be used to offer truly proactive, intelligent interactions. Done right, automotive marketing solutions rooted in connected car technology can flip the script.
Imagine a vehicle that knows your tires are wearing out because it’s learned from your driving behavior and alerts you with enough time to plan ahead. Or a system that sends timely, helpful tips based on how you actually drive, offering real advice that empowers smarter decisions, not just a summary of usage. Think less static CRM, more dynamic, AI-powered intelligence designed to guide, not just respond.
The most valuable features are the ones that simplify ownership. Predictive maintenance, real-time alerts, adaptive interfaces—all of it adds up to one thing: a smarter, more responsive relationship between driver, vehicle, brand and dealer. That’s the kind of experience that builds loyalty.
Shifting Perception, Building Trust
The tech is just as important as the narrative. Legacy brands must reframe their story to close the gap between how they’re perceived and what they can deliver. The opportunity lies in creating a category of driver experience that blends trust, familiarity and intelligence distinct from what newer, digital-native brands are offering.
Positioning as modern utility brands grounded in decades of engineering and equipped with today’s tools allows them to deliver smarter, safer and more connected driving experiences without abandoning the strengths that made them successful. The opportunity now lies in learning from the agility and design thinking of newer disruptors, while building on a foundation of trust, scale and craftsmanship that legacy brands uniquely own.
Where RAPP Comes In
RAPP helps clients in the automotive industry and technology space navigate this evolving landscape with clarity. We bring precision and empathy to every engagement, helping brands identify where expectations are shifting, what their data can reveal and how to act on it. Whether building more intelligent CRM journeys or unlocking the true value of connected car insights, we’re here to turn potential into performance.
The road ahead is defined by intelligence, intuition and rapid evolution. The brands ready to rethink how they engage will be the ones leading it.
Ready to evolve your automotive experience strategy? Let’s talk.
