Ford, Spotify Team Up to Enhance Entertainment Experience for FordPass Members

• Spotify joins McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and BP as partners participating in the FordPass^® experience; new collaboration aims to create a great music experience for members
  
• FordPass membership available to Ford vehicle owners and non-owners alike
• FordPass, a new mobility experience platform, reimagines the relationship between automaker and consumer by offering benefits that include a marketplace of mobility services and rewards for membership

DEARBORN, Mich., March 22, 2016 – With Americans spending more than 900 hours a year mobile – and 25 hours or more per week listening to music – Ford and music streaming leader Spotify are teaming up to create a new entertainment experience for FordPass members.

As part of its transformation into an auto and mobility company, Ford is introducing FordPass – a platform that reimagines the relationship between automaker and consumer.  The mobility experience platform aims to do for car owners what iTunes did for music fans.

“The FordPass platform is about understanding people’s needs and developing great experiences and ways to help them move better,” said Elena Ford, Ford vice president, global dealer and consumer experience. “The combination of FordPass and Spotify will create a great music experience both inside and outside of the vehicle.”

FordPass reimagines the relationship between automaker and consumer by offering benefits that will include a marketplace of mobility services and rewards for membership loyalty. Spotify is the newest FordPass Appreciation partner, joining McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and BP as retailers that will provide members with merchandise and unique experiences.

One focus of FordPass is to tap into the more than 900 hours annually that people spend on the move and provide for them the entertainment options they desire. In addition to music offerings from Spotify, FordPass also plans to partner with providers of news, sports, children’s programming, audiobooks and more.

“Our goal is to light up the FordPass experience with music,” said Jorge Espinel, Spotify vice president for business development. “We want to be everywhere fans listen to music, and this partnership deepens our relationship with Ford and FordPass members.”

The FordPass-Spotify partnership marks the latest link between the two companies. Spotify already is one of many apps that interacts with Ford SYNC^® AppLink^™. AppLink enables drivers to connect their vehicle and smartphone, and projects apps to the center console-mounted touch screen. Commands can be given via voice or touch.

FordPass is part of Ford Smart Mobility, the plan to take the company to the next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

A FordPass membership is complimentary for Ford vehicle owners and non-owners alike. The platform officially launches in April in the United States and Canada. Members of FordPass will benefit from four elements: Appreciation, which includes offerings from Spotify, as well as Marketplace, FordGuides and FordHubs.

Marketplace

All FordPass members will have access to the Marketplace of mobility services. Ford is working with ParkWhiz and Parkopedia to help people find and pay for parking more easily, and with FlightCar to help members borrow and share vehicles when they travel. In the future, services will include ride sharing and car sharing, multimodal transportation and more.

Members can pay for services through FordPay – a virtual wallet that is part of FordPass.

Ford owners can easily connect with their preferred dealer to schedule maintenance and service appointments or to review their Ford Credit vehicle finance account details. Members who own a Ford vehicle equipped with SYNC Connect, debuting on the 2017 Ford Escape this spring, can use FordPass to lock, unlock or locate their vehicle and schedule remote starts.

FordGuides

No one wants to be just a number. That’s why FordPass members can speak directly to trusted and knowledgeable FordGuides – all at the touch of a button.

For example, if a member decides he would like to book advanced parking for an upcoming show but is unsure how to reserve it, one push of a button on his smartphone lands him in a live chat with a FordGuide who will lead him through the options and help to reserve parking.

The guides will be available free of charge. Their only job is to guide, serve and help solve mobility challenges – not to sell.

Appreciation

FordPass Appreciation is about making mobility more rewarding – no matter the journey.

In the future, members will be rewarded for doing little things, such as simply registering to become a member, booking parking or interacting with FordGuides.

And by collaborating with affinity partners McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, BP, Spotify and others, FordPass can recognize members with access to merchandise and unique experiences.

FordHubs

FordPass also includes the opening of FordHubs, where consumers will be able to explore the company’s latest innovations, learn about its mobility services and experience exclusive events.

The first of these urban storefronts opens later this year at Westfield World Trade Center in New York. It will be joined by FordHubs in San Francisco, London and Shanghai.

On-site FordGuides will help guests understand mobility options available in their cities, explore solutions for their mobility needs, view a real-time mobility map of their city, and experience special events, including new vehicle reveals.