Assess and validate the reasons for existing levels of consumer interest

New players will enter the market because of advances in technology and unmet consumer needs. Non-automotive companies are providing services such as car-sharing, mobility integration, usage-based “black-box” insurance that sets premiums based on real-time monitoring of driving performance, electric vehicle integration and advanced car entertainment systems. The evolution of these new business models brings new entrants into the traditional automotive value chain, adding additional areas of risk and opportunity for OEMs in redefining their business focus.

2 . Expand on the consumer profile you developed in the previous assessment activity by identifying and explaining influences and/or reasons that may impact on buying decision-making behaviour. To include:

Since every business and every product must have their target market, the all new Toyota Camry 2012 has its own. This beauty is mainly targeted at both male and females aged around 31 – 50 mainly who have small to larger families due to many reasons such as the fuel economy, the reliable powerful engine, the 5 star safety, the aerodynamic design and the comfortable interior with all the technologies such as the Bluetooth, back camera etc. on your fingertips.

Toyota Camry in the recent years had been proven as a perfect family car and hence had people with families as their main target market. Most young people would not prefer the Camry as they think it’s a family car. It’s evident by the TV commercials advertising the Camry always with a family involved e.g. going camping etc. Hence, the 2012 Toyota Camry has received the award for the best family car of 2012.

The Toyota Camry is class inside out but one of the main reasons for its success is also dependent on the value Toyota puts on the cars. They wouldn’t make it overpriced nor make it a bargain. They would see the average household income in Australia and price the Camry accordingly. Currently the average household income in Australia is in the 56000 region. Hence, the price is set to a price which can be afforded by an average household. The new Toyota Camry is valued at $29,990.

A description of the area the typical consumer lives in.

The Camry is famous worldwide in particular America and Australia. In Australia the Toyota Camry have received the award for the best family car. This gives an indication and a proof that the Australian household love this car. However since the Camry’s target market household income is between the $56000 per year mark, they most likely be living in the suburban areas where people live a fairly average and educated lives and where there are many people around as they have children. Hence Toyota have analysed this and have built their Camry stores mostly in the suburban areas. This is to improve the chances and making it easier for this customers to buy the car that they are seeking.

A profile of the typical household income of your customer

According to the latest research Australia wide, the average household income is in the $56000 annual range. Toyota Camry’s primary targets are men and women who usually have a family. The people who are usually educated and live an average life and earn average salaries. Toyota ranged the prices of the cars accordingly making it affordable for them. However this doesn’t restrict the secondary target “rich” customers from buying a Toyota Camry.

A brief description of the social class of your typical customer and you defined this class status.

The primary or the typical customers of the Toyota Camry belong to the middle class. This is due to them living affordable and educated lives while earning sufficient, average household salaries.

A summary of your customer’s typical family status (e.g. single, married, divorced) and/or reference group influence.

The typical Toyota Camry customers are men and women who are married and have children. The main influence in making these men and women to purchase the Camry is the fact that they have a family. The wife, she could influence in a way that the Camry offers high safety as women are more interested in the safety. She could influence because of the sleek look of it or maybe the space that the Camry offers etc. The children will influence because the parents will want to get the Camry as it’s the perfect family car as they would want to ensure they get the best one to also make their children happy while ensuring they are in total safety.

A summary of any lifestyle or psychographic details that apply to your typical customer.

The psychological factors that affect the decision of the Camry customers to buy the car are or can vary in couple of ways. Even though the main target is families, everyone can think differently and have their own views. Some Camry customers buy it because it is not harmful for the environment because there is no mercury and cadmium in the car but many buy it because of the green technology way which is the highly rate safety the Camry offers. The lifestyle of the Camry customers is modern and hence they would prefer the modern style of the car and the hands on electronics built in within the car.

Roy Morgan

The Toyota Camry customers come under this segment. Traditional Family Life, along with its younger counterpart, Conventional Family Life, represents the core of 'middle Australia', with values centred around the significant events in their personal and family lives. The traditional Family Life and Conventional Family Life Segments are motivated
by similar values in terms of security, reliability and providing better  opportunities for their family. However the Traditional Family Life are now, within Australia, generally empty-nesters or extended families. With their children grown their focus is on re-building their relationship with one another and finding time to do things they never could while their children were growing up. But with such a strong focus on the family, they spend a great deal of time and energy getting the family to visit them, babysitting, weekend BBQs and buying lollies for the grandkids, which their parents won't let them have.

Influencing factors that affect the decision making of the typical customers

Social factors have a profound influence on the consumer buying process for this segment. The factors that come in here will include consumer wants, motives and learning and these are greatly influenced by person's family, social class, culture, opinion leaders and reference groups. For the customers around the world, in particular Australia and US, decision made by most consumers will be highly dependent on whether the company has tried to attract any of the opinion leaders. These are attracted by the marketers of the Toyota Camry. These spokes people are usually paid by the marketers so that they van advertise the car on their behalf. Examples of people who have been used are like Michael Jordan and Chevy Chase. In the family since people have different roles to play, there are things that you are expected to do. Since we have the father, mother, employer or even employee in a single family, all these people have changing roles and the marketers must understand this. Consumer behavior starts in the family unit.

Q3: Evaluate the influence of previous marketing activities and assess their impact on current buying trends and consumer behaviour. (See company or competitor websites for ideas or interview potential customers.)

Environmental care program (marketing activity)

During the past year Toyota continued to roll-out the Toyota Environmental Management System across both production and non-production sites. This involved identifying and implementing measures to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. To this end Toyota have:

• Reduced water use by 28 per cent at the Altona manufacturing plant.

• Invested more than $2 million on environmental protection activities at the plant.

• Implemented a building retrofit program at the corporate headquarters in Port Melbourne, aiming for a minimum four star rating of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) with assistance from the Federal Green Building Fund.

• Developed the Toyota Environmental Dealership (TED) program which aims to help our Dealer network embed environmental thinking and sustainable business practices into the daily operations of their dealerships.

Having participated in this recall activity, Toyota already commenced initiatives under the approach of ‘Customer First’ program to enhance existing activities and to maintain customers’ confidence in our products.

These activities lead to not only for the good of the environment but also help achieve for customer trust in particular the customers who care more for the environment. These activities may look like it is just to help the environment but it is also form of marketing activity.

Other Marketing Activities

Toyota has created its most technologically advanced Camry ever—a car that keeps up with an Australian drivers’ 21st century lifestyle. The 2012 Camry debuts a bold, sophisticated new design with a more spacious and refined interior, improved driving dynamics, class-leading fuel economy and a level of safety features unmatched in the segment. The 2012 Camry is among the first Toyota vehicles to offer the award-winning in-car experience.

“When building the best-selling car in America, Australia and some other countires—a car with nearly seven million vehicles on the road today—you learn about what people want and expect from their cars,” said Bill Fay, group vice president of marketing for Toyota. “We recognized the need to give Australians a smart, safe and worry-free vehicle they can rely on, and our marketing campaign communicates this message.”

Toyota’s especially camry’s marketing activities are largely from advertisement. Understanding that today’s drivers want the complete package, the “It’s Ready. Are You?” campaign, created by Toyota’s advertising agency of record, Saatchi & Saatchi LA, touts the reinvented Camry’s class-leading innovations in safety, efficiency and intuitive mobile media technology. Campaign messaging focuses on performance, innovation, safety and MPG, showcasing key product features and packaging. This has been a huge influence in consumer buying decisions.

Broadcast

The fully integrated campaign includes six TV spots, launching with “Built” during NBC Sunday Night Football. The spots will air during several top-rated and high-profile programs such as Two and a Half Men, AFC/NFC Football and the World Series.

Print & Digital

Camry will have a significant presence in print outlets, appearing in publications such as TIME, Oprah, People and Business Week. Toyota will continue its ongoing partnership with TIME Person of the Year through print, digital and tablet placements. Camry was part of Toyota’s Sporting News tablet integration, exclusively appearing in the NFL, NASCAR and MLB sections. The 2012 model will also be supported by digital media, including banner ads, rich media units, homepage takeovers and gaming integrations.

Consumer Experiences

Consumers had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the 2012 Camry at over 125 events through March 2012. The Toyota Drive Center national ride and drive tour, along with activations at select Life Time Fitness locations across the country, gave the public a chance to experience the vehicle firsthand.

The above graph shows the advertisement of Toyota Camry and the types of methods they have used. This is part of the marketing activities they do attract their customers. As can be seen in the graph, most of the advertisement is from the TV.