Toyota is targeting some of its advertising for its new Scion model to a group of consumers who can't even use the product--kids. It sounds crazy, but the company says the idea is actually paying off.
Not long ago, the automaker paid for the car's product placement in Whyville.net, an online interactive community populated almost entirely by 8- to 15-year-olds. The goal was twofold: Toyota wanted
the kids to influence their parents' car-buying decisions, and to develop brand loyalty to Toyota. And guess what? Ten days into the campaign, visitors to the site had used the word "Scion" in online
chats more than 78,000 times; hundreds of virtual Scions were purchased, using "clams," the currency of Whyville; and the community meeting place "Club Scion" was visited 33,741 times. Targeting
so-called tweens or teenagers long before they can buy a product is a tactic that more marketers are exploring, said Matthew Diamond, the chief executive of Alloy Media and Marketing, a consultancy in
New York that specializes in youth marketing. "It's early branding," Diamond said. "You are branding your product at a relevant time to the young person. You're establishing that brand presence and
positive association, since important buying decisions are forthcoming."
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