Strategies and values of the Japanese company Toyota
Introduction
Toyota Motor Corporation, is a Japanese car company founded in 1933 by Kiichiro Toyoda. The brand’s expansion happened in the fifties and sixty, reaching all continents.
The brand’s business model has always been based on its production system, that is, in the Just in time system, reduction of plant preserves, promoting demand growth in economic cars and with sensible prices.
Toyota is the most valuable car brand in the world according to the annual Brandz ™ ranking, since 2006 has been eight times. Brandz’s global director, Graham Stoplehurst, highlights Toyota’s global magnitude and his commitment to alternative energy.
Strategy and values
For years the Japanese brand is betting on the fight against pollution thus developing hybrid technology. Since 1997, the Toyota Prius, first hybrid manufactured in series. Toyota is aware of climate change and the consequences of this, that is why he does not only sell a car that consumes less fossil fuels but is telling us that if we buy one of its vehicles we will be better “people” for being respecting nature and our environment. As a consequence we will be indirectly being part of a group of people who respect the environment and who buy according to it.
Toyota’s values are mainly five: honesty, loyalty, respect, responsibility and trust. All of them are reflected both in the way of producing cars and with their communication that will be detailed later.
Communication with its consumers
How could Toyota be otherwise decided in 2010 not to be left behind in communication with its consumers through social platforms.
Since then the brand has developed different projects aligned with its objectives and digital strategy. Focusing on innovation, effectiveness and leadership. A clear example was the #FelizdíAdelSuperpadre campaign. The main objective was to increase the engagement of the spot on social networks, thus connecting the different targets of the brand in a easier and innovative way. Toyota wanted its users to be impacted on Father’s Day with the hashtag #Happy DelSuperpadre making a clear engagement with families and the celebration of that day. For two days before this day, the message began to spread with the previous hashtag. At midnight, the use of hashtag was promoted through the “promoted trend” tab of Twitter with the campaign spot. The next day, more than a thousand tweets had been made per hour, users used this medium to congratulate their respective parents. That they were no longer parents but had become "superpadres". The result was more than 15.000 tweets with hashtag and an increase of 2.5% in engagement. I mean, a true triumph.
Brand perception
According to the study "The positioning of car brands in UEMC university students: perception differences depending on driving experience" by Alejandro Tapia Frade, the Toyota car brand is perceived as a "powerful" brand high consumption and not cheap, but without linking with the upper class.
In addition, as previous.
Consistency of advertising actions
Toyota is a brand that all its vehicles are directed towards a very well defined audience. So respect the medium-caras lines are directed towards conservative clients and families. On the other hand, the most "informal" and cheapest lines are heading to a young audience. For example: the Toyota Yaris model is aimed more to an audience that seeks a vehicle at a good price and does not seek or managers.
The strategy they follow is consistent in the sense that all its advertising and communicative actions are directed and do not deviate from their target audience and of course their brand values. This is seen reflecting both in television spots and in their social networks. In its advertisements you can see how each brand of the brand has its spot and characteristics in them. A clear example is the announcement of Toyota Yaris Hybrid 2015, where young people are driving responsible but at the same time enjoying. In addition at the end of the spot it emphasizes the price “from 9.990 euros "Wanting:" You will be driving and enjoying in a responsible way (brand value) for just this price ".
In its social networks: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter I LinkedIn, follows a strategy to approach the user and interaction. This has been reinforced due to the “driving as you think” campaign, a campaign that invites us to reflect and ask us more questions about our actions and the world where we live (corruption, energy poverty..). In addition, it ends with a shocking phrase “In 1997 we launched the first hybrid car and today, more than half of the cars we sell are. In 2022, we want everyone to be ”. This campaign aims to claim that the Toyota brand are leaders in hybrid technology and especially brand notoriety. Toyota is playing with its brand values and not so much with the product itself.
Strategy and techniques (current trends)
The strategy and advertising techniques of the brand go along with current trends. These trends in the automotive sector are: respect for the environment, innovation and enjoyment for driving.
Toyota in each of its advertising actions lets the viewer/ public feel one of these trends from their point of view. We already know, that Toyota is the leader regarding the respect of the environment but it has never abandoned this concept that today covers so much importance.
Communication in each medium
Toyota mainly uses the conventional medium, television, that is, television spots. As expected, they play with the corporate colors of the brand: red and gray, also with dynamism and songs that are sometimes just Jingles. Toyota raises advertising campaigns in open and cable channels, since it allows you to have more scope through this medium than with not others, that is very high.
As secondary media Toyota uses: magazines, radio and internet. In this case, the brand has less scope than with television but has a better cost efficiency. It appears mostly in magazines of the El Automobile sector such as: Autofácil, Motor16…
In addition, the brand uses as means of support, external advertising and BTL ("Below the Line"), since they have a lower cost but gives them less reach. In these techniques, the Japanese brand has not performed too many actions.
One of Toyota’s curiosities is that he has his own "television" called Toyota TV. This shows the novelties of cars, as well as spots of advertising campaigns and all kinds of news about the brand. It is a unique and exclusive platform for customers. The objective of this platform is to improve the experience of customers when they visit Toyota’s facilities in Spain, since it offers one hundred percent content.
A good example of spot that reflects Toyota’s values is "Toyota C-HR Electric Hybrid, symbols". The spot talks about the symbols, icons with which we have all identified in our life (social movements, music groups or icons in each of the generations) music bands or generational icons. Those elements of which we are proud to think, feel and show. That same pride with which Toyota looks in his cars the "hybrid" plate. An element that means ecological responsibility, for a better future and above all to position itself as a leading brand.
Improvements in advertising actions
Finally, although Toyota performs very good advertising actions, that is, it fits its target, it is faithful to its principles and values; There is always a margin for improvement.
From my point of view, Toyota has left the Ambient Marketing Marketing from Guerrillas. Since 2016 that the Japanese brand has not returned any performance. It would be a point to work, since the brand has a good story to be able to satisfactorily impact the public. In addition, more and more the public seeks spectacularity and emotions.
Webography
- Welcome to Toyota Spain | Toyota vehicles. Toyota is [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Toyota.it is/
- Corolla and advertising: 5 decades creating style | Toyota MX. Toyota.MX [Online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Toyota.MX/Note/Corolla-and-La-Publicidad-5-D%C3%A9cadas-Creando-Estilo
- Creative, h. 2019. #FelizdiadelSuperpadre, Toyota’s celebration of Father’s Day on Social Networks | Hadock Communication. Hadock Communication [online]. Available at: https: // Hadock.It is/Happy DelSuperpadre-La-Celebration-De-Toyota-Del-Dia-Del-Pere-In-Las-Redes-Social/.
- Frade, a. 2019. The positioning of automobile brands in UEMC university students: perception differences depending on driving experience. Dialnet [online]. Available at: https: // dialnet.united.is/servlet/article?CODE = 3934150.
- New campaign ‘drives as you think’ by Toyota Spain by The & Partnership Spain. THE ADVERTISING PROGRAM [ONLINE] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Publicity program.com/new-champana-conceuce-piensas-toyota-spana/
- TOYOTA – EXTERNAL ADVERTISING Great format and production in Valencia. External advertising large format and production in Valencia [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.SPSPUBLICITY.com/portfolio/toyota/
- Toyota auris hybrid #conducecomopiensas. Youtube [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Youtube.com/watch?Time_continue = 1 & v = a4w_gyt3l4q & feature = emb_title
- Toyota C-HR #Conducecomopiensas. Youtube [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Youtube.com/watch?time_continue = 60 & v = rlznwpctiqs & feature = emb_title
- Toyota Spain (@toyota_esp) • Instagram Photos and Videos. Instagram.com [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Instagram.com/toyota_esp/
- Toyota Spain. Facebook.com [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Facebook.com/toyotaesp/
- Toyota Hybrid #Conducecomopiensas. Youtube [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.Youtube.com/watch?time_continue = 74 & v = jhglfjqndkm & feature = emb_title
- Toyota travels through the history of mobility in the last campaign of its Corolla Hybrid model | Direct marketing. Direct marketing [online] 2019. Available at: https: // www.direct marketing.com/Marketing-General/Advertising/Toyota-Recorre-Historia-Movility-Itel-Campana-Model-Corolla-Hybrid
- Toyota. It is.Wikipedia.Org [Online] 2019. Available at: https: // is.Wikipedia.org/wiki/toyota
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