Title of the Case: Toyota's Music Festivals

Modified from:Kotler, Philip & Armstrong, Gary (2018),Principles of Marketing, 17^thedition, Pearson Education.

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Toyota Motor Corporation is among the top three automobile manufactures in the world along with Volkswagen and General Motors. Between 2008 and 2016, the Japanese car manufacturer was the top vehicle-selling company except for 2011, when it struggled to resume production after an earthquake struck Japan.

Toyota's marketing strategy has a strong focus on customer needs. The company realizes the importance of engaging its customers, especially the new generation of Millennials. Toyota uses various consumer engagement strategies, like its Music Festival. Toyota believes that music is a powerful tool to engage with a young and multicultural target audience and therefore finds music festival sponsorships very useful to connect with the potential car buyers. The objective of participating in such festivals is to introduce the Toyota brand and its vehicles to the specific target market through hands-on and interactive demonstrations. This creates an experiential marketing opportunity that stirs up excitement in consumers and encourages a positive brand attitude.

In 2015, Toyota had a huge presence in rock festivals in the United States includingLife is Beautiful Music Festival, Electric ForestMusicFestival,andOutside Lands Music Festival. The following are the key components of Toyota's Music Festival Strategy:

In-Vehicle Experience: The music festivals provide entertaining touch points for brand activation. The cars are used as props for photos as part of various activities and competitions during the festivals.

Interactive Zones: These are on-site DIY (do-it-yourself) activities where festival goers can make items like poster, tote bags, and other Toyota branded stuff.

Toyota Cooling Zones: During festivals, Toyota offers cooling zones with drinks and snacks as well as the chance to hang out with the vehicles.

Test Drives: Attendees could take Toyota trucks off-road on ramps, and other fun things to experience the vehicle's drive.

Music Bloggers and Influencers: Toyota collaborates with popular music bloggers and influencers by inviting them to music festivals and creating real-time content for both their social channels.

Provide an Opportunity to Meet Product Specialists: Toyota hopes that after festival goers have interacted with the brand in fun ways, they will be more interested in checking out its vehicles with the help of a product specialist. People can thus experience its vehicles outside a dealership environment.

Develop a Customer Database: The music festival attendees can choose to accept emails and the festival entertainment newsletter. If the attendees are looking to buy a car, they can also ask to be contacted by a dealer.

Toyota says that it views these music festivals as an alternative fun way of bringing the car to potential customers outside the retailer and the dealership environment. This helps to connect the brand with the consumers without any sales pressure.

Question 1

Referring to the above case, assume you are the Event Manager forToyota's Music Festivals, discussFIVEmarketing benefits of sponsorship that can be gained by Toyota.Support your answer with examples.

Question 2

AssumeToyota's Music Festivalswill be held next year. Identify and discussTWOpossible ways to recruit volunteersandTHREEmethods to reward volunteersfor Toyota's Music Festivals. Explain your answer with examples.

Question 3

To support the concept of sustainable development, suggestTHREEtypes of solutions that might be employed byToyota's Music Festivalsto reduce their environmental impact. Explain your answer with examples.