Toyota is aiming for music-loving younger consumers with a new marketing program on MySpace that extends upon a similar program that Toyota tried last year. The program, Toyota Music Rock the Space 2
focuses on getting indie bands without a label to compete for a contract with MySpace Records.
The effort, running through June 7, aims to get music acts to go to Toyota's MySpace Music site
at MySpace.com/ToyotaMusic and submit an MP3 demo for consideration. The site also has digital programs for creating virtual demo tapes, including visual themes for a cassette-tape themed widgets they
can then distribute around MySpace and other social sites or via email. Another viral element lets MySpace users add the demo tape music widgets to their profiles and post comments on the Toyota Music
profile.
Once the submission period is over a music industry panel including A&R brass will select ten semifinalists who get top billing on the Toyota Music profile. Then the MySpace
community votes to narrow the pool to five finalists. The community will also get to vote for a "fan favorite" to be the sixth finalist for consideration. All finalists will receive a media allocation
to promote themselves with My Ads targeted advertising throughout MySpace—and the fans will vote to pick the winner, to be announced in September.
The final winner gets a recording
contract plus a $10,000 musical instrument prize package from Fender.
Toyota says it got 19,000 submissions last year. The winner in 2009 has an inaugural album coming out this summer and will
tour with the Vans Warped Tour in June.