toyota sucks at advertising

It's challenging for Toyota.
I wouldn't go as far as to say they are losing their own game. Prius for most people is still nearly synonymous for Hybrid. When you say Hybrid, most people still automatically think Prius.

The advantage and simultaneous disadvantage new players have? Is that they are new. Hyundai can introduce Ioniq, and the introduction can be whatever Hyundai wants, whatever angle or selling points they want to advance. BUT....you only really get to be "new' once.

Even when Toyota launches new generations and incarnations of Prius, which may be very "new" in features and styling and even operating abilities, "Prius" is tied to it's own successful history. This is also simultaneously an advantage, and disadvantage.

Which is why, I speculate a lot of the advertising for the latest incarnation of Prius has been oddly Un-Prius like. It seems to me like Toyota has gone a long way to promote the more mainstream aspects of Prius, and less of the Hybrid realities.

To me? It unless you are talking Beta vs VHS...it usually boils down to having the best product. If Ioniq and Niro, -Hyundai and KIA siphon sales from Prius and Toyota? It will because the products deserve it. The bar will be raised and Toyota will respond.
But for me, the other side of the sword exists. As interesting as the "New" Hyundai and KIA hybrid products sound, and appear to be? They still aren't as vetted, tried and true as Prius.

For me? When researching Hybrids, and eventually purchasing a Prius, a BIG part of the decision was the decades of founding investment and support Toyota has demonstrated in Prius. Toyota has supported Prius since inception to today.
If sales falter or are sluggish will Hyundai and/or KIA support and back their hybrids with the same dedication? Only remains to be seen.

I tend to agree, that it has been a long, long time since I've seen advertising for Prius that I really thought was great.
As a whole I don't like Toyota's advertising right now. The whole "Jan" at the dealership campaign, smacks of a Big Automaker, simply coasting. IMO the commercials are uninspired, and very fundamental and generic. They tell you what they have for sale, and why you should go buy one. But really in a very perfunctory, sometimes nearly insulting way.

Truly creative advertising that really worked? It's been a while.
I wasn't a big fan of the dancing and singing tree's when Gen 3 was launched.
The initial advertising for Prius c, was nearly toxic. Testament to the product that it overcame it's own early advertising.
And my feeling with most of the advertising I've seen for Gen 4 Prius is that Toyota doesn't seem to know how they want to promote it.
Is it on the basis of it's mainstream styling and "No Compromise" performance? Or is it as being an eco-friendly, gas sipping Hybrid? They seem shy at trying to promote both.

But losing the game? No.
Toyota with Prius and Honda....with the original Insight...started the game.
Toyota with Prius, has dominated the game.

 

It could be said that the Prius succeed despite Toyota's advertising of it.
I remember a TV ad for the Insight when it first arrived. A basic shot of the car on the road, and mention of its high, pre-2008 fuel economy. I learned of the Prius existing from CR's big auto issue.

I don't recall how I heard about the gen2 Prius, but it wasn't through any advertisement. I suspect winning Motor Trend Car of the Year was the reason why most ended up hearing about it, followed by articles on the new hybrid cars. High fuel efficiency isn't a major selling point in the US, and the sedan is more popular than the hatchback. Car buyers looking for those aspects need to do more research on what is available, and likely don't pay much attention to car ads because they aren't providing info on products of interest to begin with.

Word about the Prius was spread more by owners and fans than any advertising. A Civic hybrid ad with people asking where the plug was is the only one I recall from the time, and the Prius ones didn't really start until after I got the 2005. Then gas prices started going up.

 

You're going back to the early, early day's. In which I agree.
But Gen 2 Prius, had some really creative advertising eventually connected to it.

 

Cry not too much all my fellow Prii and Prime owners!! Toyota does what all the big boys do in the auto business, they push their Lumber Wagons, trucks, Stupid Useless Vehicles, and other Land Barges because those Vehicles make them tons of money with their high profit margins. Cynically I know, they do offer our sweet little Prime Wondercars to we gleeful ecstatic worshippers of sane fuel use, high reliability, and smooth comfort, to pacify the antismog lords. Note that those not following the California style CARB, ZEV
rules have difficulty securing this excellent automobile, mainly due to small production volume at this time.
My guess is that Toyota is quickly selling all Prime inventory as soon as it lands and on order. Why bother advertising. They have a very strong positive reputation for all Prii, and the Prime is a specialized luxury version of that car. The Prius has the highest historical reliability rating by Consumers Report. The word of mouth is working great; who needs advertising.
You want to talk about lousy advertising, talk about the 1999 Honda Insight hybrid 2-door, a truly Innovative little commuter car. I purchased a 2005 model 5 speed, and drove it for 230,000 miles. I averaged 58 miles to the gallon even though it was not a plug-in. It was the perfect commuter for a businessman (carpool stickers). I loved the little car but I never saw any advertising for it. Hysterically, it was in a movie called "Get Shorty" starring John Travolta who when asked what kind of a car he was driving, answered, "it's a new Cadillac!"

.

 

That's what I meant when I said in my original post that Toyota's advertising recently smacks of a big automaker coasting.
I'm routinely against coasting....unless it's in a Prius.

 

Well. they are coasting with Prius marketing...

 

what??? is he okay???

 

He called it a leave of absence. Not really any details.

When I mentioned about keeping him in my prayers he said there was no risk involved.

 

i was hoping holiday. hope all is well with him, great guy, an spot on with most of his posts.

 

Why you need to advertise when you sold over 3 million hybrids ! Got nothing to prove!

 

personally, i wish they wouldn't, and pass the savings on to customers. those Super Bowl ads are espensive.

 

Who will create time-course sales graphs of each 'better than just petrol' vehicles through time? There would be Prius, other hybrids, and pure electrics.

 

good question, but i think it stalled at around 3% some time ago, at least in the u.s. i know, too parochial.

 

Because all of the hybrids sold in the US is under 3% of new car sales, and the Prius sales are dropping.

 

sorry, post #20.

 

Toyota's own dealers are the problem. My salesperson, even last week, mentioned that she needs to learn more about the Prime "one of these days," and hopefully before mine is due in (a few weeks away and on the water ATM). She's been there 8 years, and is the senior sales person at the dealership. I like her, but I will know 500% more about the car than she, or anyone else there, ever will.

Dealer training isn't required, apparently.

 

About 16 years ago I was in Puerto Rico and a Prius was on display 'at the mall'. I had done my homework and (along with a few other civilians) explained this odd thing to passers by. There where Toyota employees on scene, sure, but they knew diddly.

Thesis here is that Toyota does a poor job at sales-to-advertising level. That seems to be so, but could we ask the allied question, whether any other car company does better?

If you want to sell, you had better have a thing to sell. Because PriusChat exists I can claim that Toyota does have. That occurred at design/engineering/manufacturing levels.

So, what do readers here want? A transportation appliance well made, or one well presented? It is not an answer to say you want both, without example of a car company that does both.

 

Fortunately there are a few good salespeople. Mine spent about 45 minutes demonstrating the features inside the Prius before we took a test drive. I ended up buying the car. He still drives his Gen 1 Prius.

I drove 159 miles for the better sales experience and lower price. The local dealer blew me off the salesperson insisted the Trim Two was only available with black interior. Some salespeople do not even read the sales brochures.

 

Did you go back to the local dealer to show him what he could have sold if he was on the ball?