With initiatives ranging from minority engagement to sustainability to volunteerism, Toyota’s marketing efforts in ’15 have helped it record 172 million news impressions and 33 million more on social media. During a presentation titled, “Taking a General Market Program and Making it Work Across Multi-Cultural Lines” during Day 1 of the ’15 Intersport Brand Engagement Summit, Toyota VP/African-American Business Strategy for North America Jim Colon showcased some of Toyota’s recent efforts. He said he was happy with the company’s success with African-American, Hispanic and Asian consumers, as it is the top car brand in each of those demographics. “We’re very proud of the fact that people like our cars,” Colon said. “Our cars are resonating with a wide range of consumers.” One project he detailed was the Toyota Green Initiative, which has been endorsed by former WNBA player Lisa Leslie and is aimed primarily at college students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities. He also highlighted some of the sponsorships Toyota has been involved in this year, including the Southwestern Athletic Conference Football Championships, the CIAA Basketball Tournament and the Broccoli City Festival, which celebrates sustainable practices in urban communities throughout DC.
