The Toyota story in the U.S. is mostly a retail one; however,Toyota Motor Corp. wanted influencers and policy makers to know about its role as a good corporate citizen.The job of making an emotional connection with the civic and socially-minded and of portraying Toyota as a great company that happens to also make great cars fell to Ean Shearer, associate media director, Dentsu Inc., New York.
Believing that many corporate image campaigns are underleveraged, he and his team set out to develop the message in ways that would allow people to interact with the brand image incorporating the expression of thought and ideas in many spheres of influence—business, government, philanthropy, social responsibility, and lifestyle.The strategy evolved to become a multilevel representation of Toyota’s position through print, television, online, and sponsorship. Shearer believes that the development of target segmentation as an emerging trend in the media and account planning process often requires new tools to demonstrate viability to a client as well as building strong bridges with the media. If Toyota is any example—and it is—the efforts are paying off: Toyota’s message is resonating in the U.S. market.
