Change in Strategy
Oct 9th, 2010 by erickyao
Whether this commercial is ethical or not, it has certainly made a lot of people laugh. I personally think that abnormal and original commercials are the most effective. As depicted in the video above, a couple desperately tries to kill each other for a common purpose: drive the TOYOTA to work. This is rather humorous because, realistically, no one will ever try to assassinate his/her partner for the simple pleasure of driving a RAV4. The message that the car company is trying to get across is that people are willing to do anything to drive a Toyota, or more specifically, a RAV4. Toyota is trying to build a brand and differentiate itself from other car company (points of differentiation).
Unfortunately, Toyota has experienced many safety issues during past years. The commercial above can no longer be used because, according to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, customers/consumers will not care about the options that the car offers or its appearance (esteem) if they do not feel safe while driving the car (safety). The safety need is not satisfied; consumers will choose another car company that offers both safety and esteem. After problems started to appear, Toyota, however, completely changed its marketing strategy by focusing on safety.
As seen in recent Toyota commercials, the company is trying to change customers’ attitudes towards this product by using statistics or videos demonstrating various safety measures. Multiple simulations were posted online and shown to public. In doing so, Toyota wishes to restore its previous reputation as a car company and, more importantly, regain its customers’ trust.