Marketing Communication Report: Toyota's Strategies and Ethical Issues

This report offers a comprehensive analysis of Toyota's marketing communication strategies. It begins with an overview of Toyota's background and then delves into target audience segmentation, exploring demographic and psychographic factors. The report outlines the company's communication objectives, including awareness, persuasive purchasing, product differentiation, consumer feedback, and brand switching. It then examines alternative creative advertising styles and ethical issues, followed by a detailed media plan. Finally, the report evaluates the implemented steps and the measurement of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) effectiveness. The analysis provides insights into Toyota's approach to reaching its target market and achieving its marketing goals, highlighting the importance of effective communication in the automotive industry.

Running head: MARKETING COMMUNICATION
MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Executive summary
The report aims at understanding the different aspects of the marketing communication, which
helps in the promotional activities undertaken by the organization. The concerned company,
Toyota has taken steps in order to promote the launch of their automobiles through the usage of
the media vehicles that helps in the proper placement of their product depending on the target
customers. The media plan, that is being enumerated as a part of the report has helped in the
proper understanding and the systematic application of the media vehicles depending on the
requirements of the market segmentation. It also helps in the understanding of the
communicational objectives of the organization.

2MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Table of Contents
1. Background of Toyota Corporations..........................................................................................3
2. Target audience segment analysis...............................................................................................4
3. Communication objectives of the organization...........................................................................5
3.1 Awareness..............................................................................................................................5
3.2 Persuasive purchasing............................................................................................................6
3.3 Product differentiation and competitive advantage...............................................................7
3.4 Consumer feedbacks on the products....................................................................................7
3.5 Brand switching.....................................................................................................................7
4. Alternative styles of creative advertising and ethical issues.......................................................8
5. Media plan...................................................................................................................................9
6. Evaluation of the steps and the measurement of the IMC.........................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................13

3MARKETING COMMUNICATION
1. Background of Toyota Corporations
The company came into existence in the year 1937 with the view of manufacturing
vehicles that will be helpful in making transportation easier for the people. Since its inception,
the company has taken steps to improve the communities and the eco-system through their
business operations. The sustainable approach of the company has helped he organization in
making its growth and expansion in the international markets. According to a report, the
company is considered to be fifth largest company in the world relating to its revenue.
The challenges that are being undertaken by the company for bringing in the
improvements in the structure of the organization is overcome by the integrated teamwork and
the proper market analysis that depicts the change in the needs and the requirements of the
consumers. The objectives of the company for undertaking the marketing campaign are based on
the requirements of the organization to make the people aware of the existence of their brand in
the market. On the other hand, it helps the organization in enjoying a competitive advantage over
the other companies in the market. The hybrid cars that are being created by the group helps in
the development process of the organization based on the innovations that are brought in the
market (Castronovo and Huang 2012). The company holds the largest shares in the Australian
markets, which reflects the growth of the company in the respective markets. The major
changes that are being undertaken by the organization is based on the development of the hybrid
technology among the cars. It has helped the organization to expand its business in the
international markets.
The purpose of the report is to understand the different objectives of the company relating
to the marketing communication and thereby discuss the impact of the communication campaign

4MARKETING COMMUNICATION
and the use of the media devices in maintaining the situation of the company in the market. It
also helps in determining the progress of the company and the expansion in the market. The
report also enumerates a media plan for the better undertaking of the marketing functions
through the proper functioning of the media devices.
2. Target audience segment analysis
The company is focused on the demographic and the psychographic segmentation of the
target audience for marketing the automobiles. It has helped the organization in determining the
needs and the preferences of the people based on their income and their family size. There are
other factors too that determine the segmentation of the target audience of the organization for
marketing their product. The other factors include the determination of the personal preferences
of the customers based on the color and the size. Relating to the age, gender and the ethnicity of
the customers, the company classifies and distinguishes between the target audiences. It helps the
organization in bringing forth modifications in the marketing campaigns. The major objectives of
the company for undertaking the campaign is based on their requirement of promoting brand
identification and launching the new products that are being undertaken by the company among
the customers. Therefore, the segmentation of the target audience and thereby identifying their
needs is an important function that the company undertakes for proper placement of their product
in the market (Ang 2014).
The determination of the psychographic segmentation helps the organization in
understanding the family sizes and thereby develops their products based on the requirements of
the families. The large families will be requiring a Highlander or Sienna. On the other hand,
medium and small families will be requiring a Yaris, Prius or an Avalon. The company has

5MARKETING COMMUNICATION
targeted the high-income people who have sporty attitude towards their buy (Csikosova,
Antošová and Čulková 2014). The company therefore takes steps to understand the different
requirements of the groups and thereby modify their systems for the better promotion of their
activities. This will help the company in determining the placement of the products depending on
the size of the families of the target audience. The company also makes use of the assessment of
the incomes of the target audience to determine the needs of the customers. It helps in
determining the price that the consumers are willing to pay for the automobiles. On the other
hand, the demographic segmentation helps in determining the different aspects of the income of
the target audiences. It helps the organization in determining the demands of the communities.
The demographic segmentation helps in determining the family status and the income of the
customers (Ivanov 2012). The target audience determines the positioning of the products
prepared by the organization. The understanding of the requirements of the target audience helps
the organization in placing the product in the market. The flexibility of the product based on the
diverse requirements of the target audience helps the organization in undertaking a proper
positioning of the organization in the market.
3. Communication objectives of the organization
The objectives of the organization for undertaking proper communication are based on
the type of promotion that is required by the organization for making its progress n the market.
The major objectives of the communication that is undertaken by the company are based on the
following factors:

6MARKETING COMMUNICATION
3.1 Awareness
Social awareness is one of the major objectives of the organization. It helps the
organization in making the people aware of their brand existence and the situation of the
company in the market. Proper communication with the customers and the other stakeholders of
the organization helps the organization in maintaining a stable relation (Kitchen and Burgmann
2015). On the other hand, the awareness also helps in occupying the minds of the customers
while making a decision of buying a commodity. communication has helped the concerned
company in retaining the values of the customers based on the demand. It helps in determining
the segmentation of the market and therefore propose the placement of the products accordingly.
Communication also helps in maintaining the ranks of the brand awareness and the loyalty of the
customers. Awareness helps n determining the different aspects of the brand promotion in the
international markets resulting to its sale. Proper communication helps in making the people
aware of the steps that are taken by the organization for their promotion of the product in the
market.
3.2 Persuasive purchasing
The company must take steps in order to use the campaign for persuading the consumers
for making a buy of their product. The major aspects of the persuasive campaigns will help the
organization in bringing forth changes in the situation of the company in the market.
Communication while marketing a product is therefore facilitated by the persuasion that the
company undertakes (Barker 2013). The advertisements that the company aims at undertaking
are based on the objectives of maximizing the sales of the commodities manufactured by the
organization and therefore retain the market shares. It will help the company in making
improvements in the situation of the organization in the market. Therefore, communication plays

7MARKETING COMMUNICATION
a major role in shaping and identifying the products based on the requirements of the people
through proper communication (Patti et al. 2017).
3.3 Product differentiation and competitive advantage
Proper communication that the company aims at undertaking will help in determining the
different aspects of the product. The company must take steps in order to portray the supremacy
of their product over the other available products in the market. The features and the additional
benefits that the customers seek from the products is segregated and portrayed through proper
marketing communication (Yeshin 2012). It will help in persuading the consumers to make a
buy of their product. On the other hand, the competitive advantage of the company over the other
available companies and their products is communicated to the chief stakeholders of the
company, especially the consumers. It will help the consumers in determining the market
situation of the organization.
3.4 Consumer feedbacks on the products
The consumer feedback on the products that are being manufactured by the organization
will help in determining the different needs and requirements of the consumers (Percy 2014).
The company therefore must take steps in order to bring in modifications in their line of products
for fitting the purpose of the people (Luxton, Reid and Mavondo 2015). The concerned
company has taken steps in order to process the feedbacks of the customers on the products and
work on the modifications. It will help in bringing forth improvements in the products
manufactured by the organization in the market.

8MARKETING COMMUNICATION
3.5 Brand switching
The concerned company must focus more on the promotion of the products through
proper marketing communication measures in order to persuade the customers to switch their
preferences from different brands to the concerned brand. It will be helping the organization in
creating the brand loyalty among the customers through the maintenance of the consistency of
the quality products and the services (Mihart 2012). The proper communicational activities
undertaken by the organization helps in determining the different aspects of the image formation
of the brand in the market. It also helps in introducing the brand worldwide.
4. Alternative styles of creative advertising and ethical issues
The creative advertisements that the concerned organization could have undertaken are
based on the requirements of Toyota to promote their products in large scale. The company could
have taken steps in order to make use of the marketing campaign for widely promoting their
product in the market (Barger and Labrecque 2013). The persuasive attitude of the organization
in this connection could be used in an effective manner through which the company could have
attracted the attention of the people in the market (Schultz, Patti and Kitchen 2013). The
company being a reputed company could have made use of semiotic advertisements in order to
promote their product in the market. Semiotic advertisements are undertaken with the help of the
pictorial representation of the product to be promoted. It helps in undertaking steps in the proper
understanding of the strategies that are implemented by the company while promoting the
product in the market (Naeem, Bilal and Naz 2013). However, there are issues that are being
faced by this kind of advertising relating to the misinterpretation of the symbols. It affects the
effectiveness of the campaign relating to the promotion of the automobiles that are produced by
the organization.

9MARKETING COMMUNICATION
The ethical issues that might be faced by the organization with the application of this type
of advertisements are based on the misinterpretation of the language and the signs that might
mislead the customers to make a buy (Belch et al. 2014). On the other hand, the signs and
symbols that the concerned company could have used in the advertisements might hurt the
sentiments of various communities based on the difference in the dialects and the representation
of the signs. Controversies might arise out with the misinterpretation of the ideas of the pictorial
and symbolic representation of the elements. Although the company does not intend to offend
the sentiments of the communities, however the incorrect interpretation of the signs and the
symbols create a havoc impact on the advertisements prepared by the organization (Ekhlassi,
Maghsoodi and Mehrmanesh 2012).
5. Media plan
Announce
date
Subject Content Vehicle Status
July 2014 Toyota
Corolla-
Style
never
goes out
of style
The sporty cars available in the
manufacturing unit of the company are
based on the definite preferences of the
adventure loving customers.
Television
advertising
The promotion is
being undertaken
with the view of
making the customers
aware of the launch
of the product based
on their definite
preferences. It
facilitates the
movement of the
automobiles to their

10MARKETING COMMUNICATION
target segments
through the
undertaking of the
advertisements.
August
2016
Toyota
Prius –
the
longest
chase.
It is a cost effective vehicle with long-
term dependability. On the other hand,
the content of the advertisement clearly
portrayed the mileage that is being
offered by the product through a car
chase sequence
(Auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com
2018).
Television
commercial
of 90
seconds.
The promotion of the
vehicle undertaken by
the organization has
helped in fixing the
image of a fuel
efficient car in the
mind of the
consumers. It has
helped in the
undertaking of the
steps that are
necessary for the
development and the
sales of the
organization in the
market.
July 2017 Toyota
Yaris
Hybrid-
The
Yaris
Effect
The commercial advertisement
undertaken by the company is based on
the launch of a hybrid model by Toyota.
It has helped the organization in making
the target market aware of the stylish and
sporty, fuel-efficient car that is being
Internet and
television
advertising
The advertisement of
the automobile has
helped in making the
target audience
segments aware of
the launch and its

11MARKETING COMMUNICATION
launched by the organization. features that are
compatible with the
requirements of the
people. it has helped
the organization to
reach out to the target
markets and thereby
bring in modification
sin the products based
on the requirements
of the people.
6. Evaluation of the steps and the measurement of the IMC
The marketing campaigns that are undertaken by the company are based on the
requirements of the company to make its products available in the market. On the other hand, the
awareness that the manufacturer aims at creating among its target market is considered while
making use of the promotional metrics. The successful IMC of the company is characterized by
the four most important factors- customer-centric approaches, channels, content and measurable
results, that helps in determining the efficiency of the communication undertaken by the
company (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia and Kitchen 2012). The customer centric approaches of the
company is based on the different requirements of the customers. The automobiles that are
manufactured by the organization is developed adhering to the requirements of the people. On
the other hand, the channels through which the company distributes the commodities to the

12MARKETING COMMUNICATION
customers is again an important consideration. The content of the channels of advertisements and
the results of the proper communication undertaken by the company are interlinked. It helps in
determining the persuasive nature of the organization, which helps the organization in enhancing
the sales of the same. The steps that are being undertaken by the company are based on the
proper understanding of the market segmentation and the determination of the requirement of the
product relating to is promotion. It helps in the creation of the brand awareness among the
customers thereby increasing the sales of the company in the market. On the other hand, the
systems undertaken by the organization for the proper promotion of their goods in the market is
characterized by the need of the products. The selection of the media vehicles for proper
promotional activities is based on the requirements of the awareness among the target audiences
of the product.
The measurement of the IMC is characterized by the measurable results of the
promotional activities undertaken by the company. It helps in determining the effectiveness of
the promotional activities undertaken by the organization. Reports have portrayed the increase in
the sales from the very years of inception. The company aims at selling 5.5 million electrified
vehicles per year and one million zero emission vehicles (Keller 2016). The aim can be
facilitated only through proper positioning and marketing of the automobiles that are being
undertaken by the organization. Therefore, the company has made use of varied media vehicles
in order to boost their sales in the international market. The proper content of the advertisements
and the implementation of the strategies for undertaking the promotion helps in the proper
placement of the products in the market (Ewing and Ramaseshan 2015).

13MARKETING COMMUNICATION

14MARKETING COMMUNICATION
References
Ang, L., 2014. Principles of integrated marketing communications. Cambridge University Press.
Auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com (2018). Toyota's new ad shows a funny way of looking at
2016 Prius - ET Auto. [online] ETAuto.com. Available at:
https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/passenger-vehicle/cars/toyotas-new-ad-shows-
a-funny-way-of-looking-at-2016-prius/50897169 [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018].
Barger, V.A. and Labrecque, L., 2013. An integrated marketing communications perspective on
social media metrics.
Barker, R., 2013. Strategic integrated communication: An alternative perspective of integrated
marketing communication?. Communicatio, 39(1), pp.102-121.
Belch, G.E., Belch, M.A., Kerr, G.F. and Powell, I., 2014. Advertising: An integrated marketing
communication perspective. McGraw-Hill Education.
Castronovo, C. and Huang, L., 2012. Social media in an alternative marketing communication
model. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 6(1), p.117.
Csikosova, A., Antošová, M. and Čulková, K., 2014. Strategy in direct and interactive marketing
and integrated marketing communications. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116,
pp.1615-1619.
Ekhlassi, A., Maghsoodi, V. and Mehrmanesh, S., 2012. Determining the Integrated Marketing
CommunicationTools for Different Stages of Customer Relationship inDigital Era. International
Journal of Information and Electronics Engineering, 2(5), p.761.

15MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Ewing, M.T. and Ramaseshan, B., 2015. Integrated marketing communications: Conflicts of
interest, politics and performance. In Proceedings of the 1998 Academy of Marketing Science
(AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 265-272). Springer, Cham.
Ivanov, A.E., 2012. The Internet‘s impact on integrated marketing communication. Procedia
Economics and Finance, 3, pp.536-542.
Keller, K.L., 2016. Unlocking the Power of Integrated Marketing Communications: How
Integrated Is Your IMC Program?. Journal of Advertising, 45(3), pp.286-301.
Kitchen, P.J. and Burgmann, I., 2015. Integrated marketing communication: Making it work at a
strategic level. Journal of Business Strategy, 36(4), pp.34-39.
Luxton, S., Reid, M. and Mavondo, F., 2015. Integrated marketing communication capability
and brand performance. Journal of Advertising, 44(1), pp.37-46.
Mihart, C., 2012. Impact of integrated marketing communication on consumer behaviour: effects
on consumer decision–making process. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(2), p.121.
Naeem, B., Bilal, M. and Naz, U., 2013. Integrated marketing communication: a review
paper. Interdisciplinary journal of contemporary research in business, 5(5), pp.124-133.
Patti, C.H., Hartley, S.W., van Dessel, M.M. and Baack, D.W., 2017. Improving integrated
marketing communications practices: a comparison of objectives and results. Journal of
Marketing communications, 23(4), pp.351-370.
Percy, L., 2014. Strategic integrated marketing communications. Routledge.