New branding strategy speaks to shared values of Canadians, Toyota
TORONTO, Feb. 14 /CNW/ - What does it mean to be "Toyota" in Canada? How
do Canadians relate to the Toyota brand? What do they expect from Toyota - as
a trusted supplier of automobiles, as an employer, and as a corporate citizen?
Toyota Canada Inc. today addressed those questions head-on, as the
company unveiled 'make things better' - a new, umbrella branding strategy for
its Canadian operations.
'make things better' draws on Toyota's global corporate philosophy of
Kaizen - a Japanese expression representing the company's passionate
commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of its business.
Toyota articulates this brand philosophy in many ways. It is a core
component of all processes upon which Toyota relies to design and manufacture
cars, trucks, components and parts. It guides the showroom, the service centre
and the head office, to ensure that consumers enjoy a satisfying experience
when doing business with Toyota. It informs how Toyota's Canadian team members
work together. It is a fundamental principle of Toyota Canada's involvement
with communities to build a better Canadian society. And it is the basis for
Toyota's continued dedication to improving the environmental performance of
its products and its business activities around the world.
"Toyota has been a part of Canada for more than 40 years. As we look to
the next 40 years in this country, we decided that this is an ideal time to
codify and express the important characteristics that make Toyota what it is,"
explained Stephen Beatty, Managing Director of Toyota Canada Inc. "The result
- 'make things better' - is a new, powerful statement of what it means to be
Toyota in Canada. What's more, the 'make things better' branding is a reminder
that Toyota Canada's values are aligned with those that Canadians hold dear."
Developing Toyota Canada's new branding involved Canadians from across
the company - and across the country. Over the past year, Toyota Canada
conducted three dozen focus groups and used online surveys to solicit input
from more than 2,300 Canadians - including Toyota owners, people who do not
own a Toyota, Toyota dealers, and Toyota employees.
"Our research into the Toyota brand in Canada was the largest such
investigation ever undertaken by our company," Mr. Beatty pointed out. "And we
learned three important things. First, that 'make things better' is a
philosophy that Canadians associate with Toyota. Second, that 'make things
better' is a philosophy that Canadians associate with themselves. And third,
that 'make things better' is a philosophy that no other manufacturer can claim
with the same conviction that we do."
'make things better' FAQ follows
'make things better' - a new corporate brand for Toyota Canada Inc.
Why did Toyota Canada decide to update its brand?
Toyota has been a member of Canadian society for more than 40 years. Over
that time, Toyota customers, Toyota's dealers, the members of the Toyota
Canada Inc. team, and the general public have formed strong ideas about what
"Toyota" means to them.
This has shaped Toyota Canada in many ways - from how the company builds
and sells its products, to how it engages with local communities in which it
does business and with Canadian society as a whole.
As the company looks ahead to the next 40 years in Canada, it decided the
time was right to update the brand to better reflect the attitudes and values
that its employees, its customers, and the Canadian public feel best represent
"Toyota". Toyota Canada Inc. therefore undertook a review of its corporate
image - an exercise that included the most in-depth market research ever
conducted by the company in Canada.
The new branding - summed up by the statement, 'make things better' - is
the result.
What research did Toyota Canada conduct?
Toyota Canada undertook the most extensive market research the company
has ever conducted in this country.
Over the past year, the company held 36 focus groups, and collected data
from 2,367 online surveys. This research was collected from all five regions
in which Toyota Canada operates: British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario,
Québec, and Atlantic Canada.
The company also consulted various public opinion surveys to gain a
broader perspective on Canadian values and how they related to the values of
Toyota customers, prospects, and team members.
The goal of this research was to learn what attributes, ideas and
concepts customers, team members and other stakeholders associate most closely
with the Toyota brand, and how these could best be communicated through the
brand.
What did Toyota Canada learn from this research?
Overall, Toyota Canada confirmed that Canadian values reflect a general
optimism and contentment, and that they define making their lives better as
improving their well-being. While Canadians are, by and large, content with
their lives, the majority also feel their lives could be better.
Within the Toyota organization, Dealer team members and Toyota Canada
Inc. associates identified Toyota's quality and its philosophy of continuous
improvement as the top two critical characteristics that are uniquely
"Toyota".
Outside the organization, most Canadians reported they consider Toyota
and its products and services to be reliable, capable, practical and
confident. These attributes form the foundation of the Toyota brand in Canada.
But beyond these, Toyota Canada's research discovered some emerging attributes
- such as leadership, innovation and environmental responsibility - that are
increasingly associated with the Toyota brand. In addition, Toyota learned
that Canadians no longer consider the brand to be conservative, as they have
in the past.
Why 'make things better'?
Toyota tested a number of value statements with Canadian owners and
non-owners of Toyotas. The statement 'make things better' received
overwhelming endorsement from both groups - not only as a statement that best
describes their vision of Toyota, but also as a statement that best describes
their own values.
The statement is, therefore, the best point of connection between
Canadian values, current Toyota owners, potential future owners, and Toyota's
bigger story.
Isn't this just an advertising gimmick?
Not at all. Yes, advertising will play a key role for Toyota Canada Inc.
in disseminating information about the brand. But Toyota Canada's review of
its brand is primarily about ensuring that the company's own values - its
commitment to make things better - are applied consistently across the
company's operations at all times. 'make things better' is an overriding
vision - a yardstick against which Toyota Canada will measure all of its
activities... from product engineering and training its own team members... to
customer care, and parts and service... to its relationship with fleet
accounts and commercial customers... to its stewardship for the environment
and responsibility to the community as a good corporate citizen... and
everything in between.Why change the brand now?
The time is right to introduce the new Toyota Canada brand to Canadians:
- Since coming to Canada in 1965, Toyota has grown from a single small
retailer with a single model, into a network of more than 230 Toyota
dealers across the country that offer a full range of passenger cars
and trucks to fulfill every need and desire.
- Toyota has created a new and unique 'Vibrant Clarity' design
philosophy, and applied it to most of the car and truck models in its
fleet;
- Toyota Canada continues to increase its market share with solid
passenger car sales, thanks in part to such perennial strong sellers
as the Canadian-built Corolla and Matrix.
- Toyota has introduced exciting new models in recent years - such as
the Tacoma compact pickup, Tundra full-size pickup, and FJ Cruiser -
which strengthen its offerings in the truck market;
- Toyota has successfully introduced many new technologies to Canadian
drivers - including gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, state of the
art vehicle stability and control systems, and other innovations that
boost the performance and safety of its vehicles while reducing their
environmental impact. Consumers characterize Toyota as a technology-
savvy company;
- Toyota Canada enjoys a trusted relationship with a large and loyal
customer base of more than 1.2 million Canadian drivers;
- The company has expanded well beyond its initial sales mandate in the
country, as Canadian operations now include research and development,
parts and components manufacturing, vehicle assembly, distribution,
sales, financing, and after sales service;
- The company continues to invest in Canada, and Canadians, through
initiatives such as the RAV4 assembly plant currently under
construction in Woodstock, Ontario;
- Toyota Canada's corporate values closely mirror many values that
Canadians hold dear, such as dependability, reliability, quality,
innovation, leadership and respect for the environment.
For further information: please email media@toyota.ca or contact:
Kathryn Ruhland, Public Relations Manager, Toyota Canada Inc., (416) 431-8333
