The Camry is by most accounts a success story. It has been Toyota's best-selling car for 9 out of the last 10 years. It consistently ranks high in quality by such authorities as J.D. Power, and nearly 60 percent of consumers who reviewed the Camry on Cars.com said they would recommend it to a friend. So what's the problem? Camry does not appeal to professional African American women. One could point to income-except that college- educated black women earn more thin college-educated white women. One could argue that African American women just don't like mid-sized sedans-except that they buy other mid-sized competitors, such as the Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, and Dodge Avenger. The real problem, Toyota is finding, is image. According to Toyota's ad agency: "Here's an nameplate that's ubiquitous. But for an African American woman, it's not even in her consideration set. Our preliminary testing found they think of it as suburban, not urban; so solid but boring. And for this woman, she doesn't see herself as boring." To challenge these perceptions, Toyota tried a cutting- edge interactive approach called an "episodic interactive campaign." The campaign was a $5 million endeavor that included print, radio, and online media, with a primarily black audience designed to get the target customer to go to its "If Looks Could Kill Web site. There, they found themselves embroiled in an urban, upscale, drama mystery game with interactive Webisodes. The campaign lasted several months during the summer of 2008. At the center of attention were two key elements. First was Bianca, a young African American career woman in the fashion industry, who becomes embroiled in a "world of espionage." Second was the Toyota Camry, which she drives in her ongoing adventures. The Camry's Blue- tooth navigation and push-button start system were seamlessly integrated into the ongoing drama. During the Webisodes, interactive features allowed viewers to participate in the drama and help Bianca. Viewers could also register to win prizes, view Bianca's journal, and of course, view what Bianca is driving! According to Toyota's ad agency: "The game. is designed to target exactly those professional black women between 25 and 40 who earn at least $70,000 a year - the same group that had previously written off the car as a suburban yawn. No one has ever target African-American women like this."

Discussion Questions

1. There are three types of reference group influence- informational, normative, and identification. Assuming Bianca is a representative for the group consisting of successful, urban, professional African American women, which type(s) of group influence do you see operating in this campaign?

2. What are the primary core American values that this campaign is attempting to tap into?

3. What values and aspirations does this campaign tap into relating to the subgroups of professional women and professional African American women?

4. Does the target market of professional African American women fit the message and media that Camry used in this campaign? Be specific in your explanations for both message (what you thought the overall themes were) and media (what types of media such as print and Internet) that were used and how they fit the target audience.

5. Beyond simply replacing a young white professional woman with one who is black, is this campaign at its core truly tapping into the unique cultural aspects of African American women? Explain.

6. Why do you think Camry chose to try to change perceptions of their car rather than changing the car itself?

7. Do you think this campaign succeeded in changing the perceptions of African American professional women? How might you have altered your approach to have a stronger impact?