Groupe Renault Gives a New Dimension to Its On-Boarded Editorial Content Platform and Enters into a Strategic Agreement with Publicis Groupe

Groupe Renault today announced the signature of a strategic agreement with Publicis Group and its newstech Relaxnews.

The objective of the partnership is to create the first global platform of editorial content for mobility by bringing a new dimension to the AEX (Augmented Editorial Experience) concept initiated in collaboration with the Challenges Group in 2017 and presented at the last Paris Motor Show*.

With the advent of connected and autonomous vehicles, Groupe Renault accelerates the development of a new strategic activity and reinvents the time spent on travel. The ambition is to offer users an immersive experience enriched by editorialized and personalized content, whose value will provide a real differentiator in the choice of vehicle purchase and use.

As part of this strategic agreement, Relaxnews - newstech acquired by Publicis in May 2015 - would contribute to the acceleration of the AEX project by bringing its network of partners, its strategic, editorial and technological expertise as a news agency, and the skills of its teams already involved in the project. In addition, Publicis Sapient will technically support the teams in the deployment of this platform in terms of UX (user interface), technology and project management.

AEX : Intermodularity Applied to On-Board Content

  • An unprecedented editorial navigation experience during a journey with the successive and uninterrupted use of a wide typology of content from different suppliers or publishers, thanks to a system of elaborate links, designed and orchestrated by the AEX platform.
  • A multi-content and multi-source experience: a platform capable of aggregating all types of media and audio content, including news, music, audio books, podcasts, e-learnings or content based on geolocation and user preferences.
  • An interactive and personalized experience via voice command: thanks to artificial intelligence, passengers will be able to interact with the platform, which will get to know their interests and will also suggest content. Thus, AEX will transform a passive experience into an active conversational and contextual experience.
  • A seamless experience to share: this platform will deliver content to listen to or share on social media in all mobility contexts, whether on-board or off-board.
  • An experience to be lived in two years in Europe via a mobile application, then implemented on-board.

For Thierry Bolloré, Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Renault: " The democratization of major societal changes is at the heart of Renault's DNA. AEX is a new illustration of this to enable access to knowledge and information through the use of technology, in order to make each journey an enriching experience. By creating the world's leading platform for mobile content for our customers, we are paving the way for a new era of on-board experiences, which represents a major strategic acceleration and long-term value creation for the Group. After the acquisition of a stake in the Challenges Group, the agreement with the Publicis Groupe and Relaxnews would be a key factor in our innovative vision of the mobility of the future, which I sincerely welcome”.

For Maurice Lévy, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe: “In the spirit of constructive partnership, we are very pleased with this strategic agreement, which reflects our historical ties and strengthens our relationship with Groupe Renault. We are proud that Relaxnews and Publicis Sapient can actively contribute to the development of AEX to make it a success”.

* According to IPSOS, 373,000 visitors discovered the AEX experience on the Renault stand at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018. 75% were seduced by AEX, which attracted the attention of many journalists and had the honour of the visit of the President of the Republic during his visit to the Renault stand.

ABOUT PUBLICIS GROUPE - THE POWER OF ONE

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in communication. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients’ transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on ten expertise concentrated within four main activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, its clients have a facilitated access to all its expertise in every market. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 103,000 professionals.

About Groupe Renault

Groupe Renault has manufactured cars since 1898. Today it is an international multi-brand group, selling close to 3.9 million vehicles in 134 countries in 2018, with 36 manufacturing sites, 12,700 points of sales and employing more than 180,000 people. To address the major technological challenges of the future, while continuing to pursue its profitable growth strategy, Groupe Renault is focusing on international expansion. To this end, it is drawing on the synergies of its five brands (Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine and LADA), electric vehicles, and its unique alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. With a 100% Renault owned team committed to the Formula 1 World Championship since 2016, the brand is involved in motorsports, a real vector for innovation and awareness.

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