Oct. 1, 2019—Nationwide has announced that it will give away one million Echo Auto devices to qualifying Nationwide auto insurance policy holders.
The free Echo Auto promotion is available now. Those interested in receiving one can visit nationwide.com/echoauto, call 1-800-347-1792 or contact their local Nationwide insurance agent.
“We view [Echo Auto] as an important part of how customers will want to work with insurance in the future,” Jeffy Ruetty, AVP of emerging partnerships at Nationwide, says. “This is one of the first major pushes that we’re making into the space.”
Nationwide will also be introducing three new features to its skill for Alexa:
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New driver checklist: Provides a safety checklist to help drivers learn safe driving habits
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Nationwide’s roadside assistance: Nationwide members can call Nationwide Roadside Assistance for help
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Road Conditions: Quickly check weather and road conditions before heading out
“We do believe that ultimately the Echo Auto Device is doing to bring a set of capabilities into older vehicles that don’t have Alexa already integrated into it like the newer ones do,” Ruetty explains. “That will help people accomplish tasks using voice that allows them to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”
Nationwide members can also access their Nationwide SmartRide information through Echo Auto and use the device to find a local insurance agent.
"We believe that voice is the most natural way of interacting with technology—and there's no place where voice can be more effective than the car," said Miriam Daniel, vice president of Alexa and Echo Devices, Amazon. "As we designed Echo Auto, we thought a lot about the unique on-the-go experiences that our customers would want and worked closely with Nationwide and others to create new skills purposely built for the vehicle. We're excited for Nationwide members to experience Echo Auto.”
“One thing I think would be interesting to consider is what new skill sets are required for higher tech software systems within vehicles,” Ruetty says. “The nice thing about [our promotion] is that it’s a relatively inexpensive device that’s an aftermarket piece added to the vehicles, and it sort of allows them to get access to this capability through their SmartPhone, which is a much simpler way to get it than to buy a new car with it integrated into the Infotainment system.”
