Video: How Toyota turned around word of mouth about their “boring” Camry

Like vanilla ice cream, popular stuff often gets a reputation for being boring, and as the top sedan in the U.S. for 13 years in a row, Camry was facing the same reputation problem. People saw buying a Camry as a rational, economic decision — not necessarily an exciting experience you’d tell a friend about.

So to turn that attitude around, Toyota’s social team created a campaign to promote the car’s “bold new” redesign. Monica Peterson, Director of Toyota Social Media, explains how they relied on personalized content, spreading the word through influencers, and hitting on some sharing habits customers already have. In her presentation at SocialMedia.org’s Member Meeting, she also shares:

  • Why Toyota dealers email new buyers a photo of themselves with their new car
  • How “digital high-fives” gave potential customers a reason to spread positive word of mouth
  • Why they brought on YouTube stars Rhett and Link to help out

Watch the full presentation below.

Toyota: Launching the Toyota Camry via social media, presented by Monica Peterson from SocialMedia.org on Vimeo.

Check out Monica’s presentation slides here.

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