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Wednesday, 26 December, 2012 11:30 PM
Toyota
honored as 2012 Nielsen Green Marketer of the Year at L.A. Auto
Show
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Toyota's
Rick LoFaso accepts the 2nd Annual Green Marketer of the Year at
the L.A. Auto Show.
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LOS
ANGELES -- Toyota received the first award on the second
media day of the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. Nielsen awarded the
3rd Annual Green Marketer of the Year award to the Japanese automaker.
Those are the same folks who measure TV viewing habits of Americans.
However, this award was based on three pillars: a cross-media survey
of 2,600 consumers, TV ad effectiveness from a panel of more than
six million and a sentiment analysis from over 115,000 social media
messages.
One
in four consumers said ads for Green technology have increased their
purchase considerations, according to the Nielsen Automotive study.
In addition, that number is up by 20 percent from one year ago.
Consumers remembered eight percent more Green television commercials
in 2012 than in 2011. However, the overall amount of Green buzz
on social media sites was down this year when compared to last year.
“Two
years ago, consumers were buying Green as a morale choice with less
of an emphasis on cost of ownership,“ said Sallie Hirsch,
senior vice president of research at Nielsen Global Automotive.
“This year, we have seen a significant change to a more balanced
view. When we asked to tell us the most important drivers in their
purchase decision, they declared gas mileage as the most important
driver above price and safety. Further, we learned that 76 percent
of consumers now say that high gas mileage is a must in their purchase
decisions. Environmental and fiscal responsibilities have combined
to a new kind of marketing message.“
Nissan
was a finalist for the launch of its 38 mpg Altima midsize sedan.
In addition, it was recognized for continuing to market the LEAF
all-electric vehicle. One third of consumers said they had a positive
opinion of Nissan’s Green marketing initiatives, according
to the study.
Toyota
was nominated for its four TV commercials about the new Prius family
of vehicles. In addition, the automaker was recognized for the re-launch
of the Camry and Camry Hybrid mpg messages. More than 50 percent
of consumers said they were aware of Toyota’s Green marketing
initiatives. Finally, the Japanese carmaker had the more positive
messages on social media than all of the other finalists, the study
indicated.
Honda
was a finalist for the Super Bowl TV commercial featuring Ferris
Bueller for the 31 mpg CR-V compact SUV. The Odyssey’s fuel
economy was also mentioned consistently throughout the year. In
addition, thirty-six percent of consumers wrote positive messages
about the automaker on social media sites, according to the study.
“The
pace of innovation that we’re experiencing and the products
we purchase is unmatched in our lifetime,” said Tom Rivers,
senior vice president and general account director at Nielsen Global
Automotive. “This change is driven equally by the expectations
of consumers and the willingness of companies to meet these expectations.
Nowhere is that more evident than in the automotive business, which
was been dominated by the sheer number of technology and Green-related
announcements thus far at the show. We’ve seen an evolutionary
and almost revolutionary change in the way consumers are responding
to Green messaging.“
Ford
was nominated for its high fuel economy messages from vehicle launches
to sales events. In addition, consumers remembered the TV commercials
from the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker more than any other of
its competitors. Ford’s Green marketing initiatives also helped
to shift purchase considerations of one-third of consumers, the
study indicated.
Chevrolet
was a finalist for its marketing of the Volt plug-in hybrid on TV
with several different commercials. It also received praise for
its vehicle campaigns that featured EcoTec engines. Thirty-one percent
of consumers said they remembered Chevrolet’s Green television
commercials.
In
the end, the award was given to Toyota.
“On
behalf of all of us at Toyota, thank you very much for this award,“
said Rick LoFaso, corporate manager of car marketing at Toyota Motor
Sales, U.S.A. “We’re very proud to be recognized as
the 2012 Green Marketer of the Year. Developing marketing communications
to consumers is really a team effort. We’re very fortunate
at Toyota to have some very dedicated and talented people in our
marketing area, but it also takes really good business partnerships.“
I
think it is interesting that Nielsen selected Toyota for this award.
I would have personally selected Honda. That Ferris Bueller commercial
was so unforgettable. Chevrolet was another strong contender with
all of its commercials from Volt owners who spoke about how much
they love that car and how many times they were able to skip the
gas station.
Ford
Motor Co. won the Green Marketer of the Year award in 2010 and 2011.
Editor's
Note: Toyota just agreed to pay more than $1 billion to vehicle
owners for the loss of value from multiple recalls tied to 'unintended
accelerations.'
For
more information about the Nielsen Green Marketer of the Year award,
visit blog.nielsen.com.
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MPG Vehicle of the Year award
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Nielsen
Global Automotive's Sallie Hirsch and Tom Rivers
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Research
methodology for the Green Marketer of the Year award
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Hirsch
and Rivers going down the list of finalists for the award.
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