Toyota iQ

Toyota iQ 1.0, LHD

ADULT OCCUPANT

FRONTAL IMPACT 15,5 pts FRONTAL IMPACT
HEAD Driver airbag contact Passenger airbag contact CHEST Passenger compartment Windscreen Pillar rearward Steering wheel rearward Steering wheel upward Chest contact with steering wheel stable 20mm 1mm 28mm none stable stable

Total 33 pts | 91%

Driver

Passenger

SIDE IMPACT CAR SIDE IMPACT POLE

7,8 pts 6,8 pts

UPPER LEGS, KNEES AND PELVIS Stiff structures in dashboard Concentrated loads on knees LOWER LEGS AND FEET Footwell Collapse Rearward pedal movement Upward pedal movement none clutch - 64mm clutch - 10mm none none

SIDE IMPACT Car Pole

Head protection airbag Chest protection airbag Yes Yes

REAR IMPACT (WHIPLASH)

2,7 pts

WHIPLASH

Seat description Standard, cloth trim Passive 0,4 pts 1,7 pts 2,1 pts 2,2 pts
ADEQUATE MARGINAL WEAK POOR
Head restraint type Geometric assessment TESTS - High severity - Medium severity - Low severity

CHILD OCCUPANT

18 MONTH OLD CHILD
Restraint Group Facing Installation Britax Romer Duo Plus 1 forward ISOFIX anchorages and top tether

Total 35 pts | 71%

FRONTAL IMPACT
Head forward movement Head acceleration Chest load protected good good

SIDE IMPACT

PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS INSTALLATION 10 pts 4 pts 2 pts Head containment Head acceleration protected good

3 YEAR OLD CHILD

Head forward movement Head acceleration Chest load protected good fair
PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS INSTALLATION 7,8 pts 4 pts 2 pts Head containment Head acceleration vulnerable good

VEHICLE BASED ASSESSMENT

Airbag warning Label
Text and pictogram label permanently attached to both sides of the passenger sun visor.

PEDESTRIAN

Total 19 pts | 54%

GOOD MARGINAL POOR

SAFETY ASSIST

Total 6 pts | 86%

SPEED LIMITATION ASSISTANCE - 0, not available ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) - standard SEATBELT REMINDER

3 pts 1 pts 1 pts 1 pts

HEAD PELVIS LEG

11,8 pts 1,7 pts 6 pts

- driver - passenger - rear

DETAILS OF TESTED CAR

SPECIFICATIONS
Tested model Body type Year of publication Kerb weight Toyota iQ 1.0, LHD 3 door hatchback 2009 886kg

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Front seatbelt pretensioners Front seatbelt load limiters Driver frontal airbag Front passenger frontal airbag Side body airbags Side head airbags Driver knee airbag single stage single stage
VIN from which rating applies applies to all iQs

COMMENTS

Adult occupant The passenger compartment remained stable during the frontal test. An airbag mounted under the steering wheel provides protection to the driver's knees and femurs. The passenger is restrained from forward movement by an underseat airbag as well by the conventional seatbelt. Both systems worked effectively, readings from the dummies' knees indicating good protection. Toyota showed that a similar level of protection would also be provided to occupants of different sizes and those sat in different positions. The car scored maximum points for protection of the passenger. In the pole test, rib deflections measured by the dummy led to the chest protection being rated as marginal. Marginal protection was provided against whiplash injuries. Child occupant In the first side barrier test, part of the ISOFIX attachment broke on the child restraint containing the 3 year infant, although the car's anchorages remained intact. Toyota identified the problem as a change of material by BritaxRmer. Duo Plus child restraints ordered through Toyota dealers will now have an improved material specification. Toyota will contact the owners of all iQs and offer them a replacement restraint if they have already bought a Duo Plus for use in their car. On the basis of this action, Euro NCAP allowed a retest. In that re-test, Toyota's countermeasure proved effective and the child restraint remained properly attached to the ISOFIX anchorages. However, the head of the 3 year old was not contained by the side of the restraint and made contact with the seat of the 1 year old. Britax-Rmer have improved the user's manual and labels of all Duo Plus child restraints to avoid the risk of adverse loading on the ISOFIX attachments as a result of incorrect child seat installation. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag did not meet Euro NCAP's requirements. However, there is a clear warning given of the dangers of using a rearward facing restraint in that position without first disabling the airbag. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats is not clearly marked. Pedestrian The iQ scored maximum points for the protection offered to pedestrians' legs by the bumper. The bonnet provided mostly good protection in the areas likely to be struck by an adult's head but was predominantly poor for protection of a child's head. Safety assist Electronic stability control is standard equipment in all European countries. A seatbelt reminder system covering front and rear seats is also fitted as standard.

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

September 9, 2009

Case Study: Social Media Helps Toyota Communicate Complex Attributes Of New iQ
by Rebecca Jennings with Christine Spivey Overby and Jennifer Wise

Executi v e S ummary

Faced with the challenge of communicating the complex, advanced features of a new vehicle the iQ Toyota supplemented more traditional online and offline marketing with social media activities that focused on an attempt by two drivers from agency iCrossing to drive 500 miles on one tank of petrol. A combination of channels blog postings, Twitter, and Flickr successfully increased traffic to the blog by more than 200% and met the goal of increasing the online conversations around the brand. Situation: traditional marketing flawED for launching a complex vehicle In early 2009, Toyota launched the new iQ city car in the UK. Previous launches had focused on an older, less online audience, with more straightforward marketing messages but the iQ required something different. Its online marketing such as display ads and video, managed by agency glue London, was somewhat abstract focusing on the shape of the vehicle, the fact that it could fit four people, and the idea that it was technologically smart. However, Toyota struggled with the challenge of making audiences fully aware of the cars more complex, advanced attributes, such as the flat fuel tank, rear curtain airbag, and its high mpg capability.1 Best Practice: A Content-Led Social Media Strategy With the need to communicate more information than a normal TV, print, or even digital ad can, Toyota marketers were attracted to the idea of using a more editorially led, online strategy specifically, using social media to spread the word about the vehicle and its wider capabilities.
The core content needed to be strong, editorially led by us. Simon Rutherford, Toyota GBs head
of digital, was intrigued by the possibilities offered by social media. Those were the ability to talk in-depth about the more complex attributes of the car and to reach the new users Toyota was aiming at not its traditional buyers, but 30- to 40-year-old, city-based consumers and a younger, more fashionable audience. To achieve this, the content needed to be written in a way so as to get across a clear explanation of the vehicle, while proving attractive and interesting enough to spread virally.
We wanted something in plain English, but interesting enough to be picked up by blogs. The
strategy needed to achieve several specific goals to raise awareness and understanding among influential environmental, automotive, and technology blogs; to reach the target audience directly through sites like Flickr and Twitter; and to improve the natural search engine results for the iQ brand through mentions and links on influential social media sites. This meant finding a topic that would both educate and inspire.
Headquarters Forrester Research, Inc., 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Tel: +1 617.613.6000 Fax: +1 617.613.5000 www.forrester.com
Hypermiling was a hot topic at the time. Digital agency iCrossing, having spent some time
listening to the current automotive-related conversations online (leveraging its search agency origins), suggested a strategy based on hypermiling the art of extracting as many miles per gallon (mpg) from a vehicle as possible. This content seemed to meet all criteria: a topic that could be used to demonstrate the iQs unusually high mpg, while also being interesting and engaging for influencers online.2 Of course, building an entire strategy based on a currently trendy concept can be dangerous; however, Toyotas own experiences and learning suggested that the topic wasnt going to be a short-lived flash in the pan.

The Implementation: A Blog, Twitter, And Flickr Combined To Get The Message Out Rather than concentrating on one specific social media channel, Toyota and iCrossing realized that to maximize impact and involvement, a combination of different channels used in concert would be required.
The official blog kicked the social media strategy off. The This is iQ blog, started in late 2008,
and with editorial strategy created and led by iCrossing, served as the center of the social media activity, hosting not only Toyota content but linking to, and aggregating from, other sources around the Web, including a Flickr account and Delicious tags. This open attitude helped iCrossing determine hypermiling as an interesting subject, having seen a number of discussions appear organically on the blog and elsewhere on the topic.
The hypermiling activity provided a content focus. Two members of iCrossings Content and
Media team attempted a 500-mile drive in an iQ around the UK, encompassing 18 cities, on a single tank of petrol (see Figure 1). Along the way, they wrote about their progress on This is iQ, posted Twitter updates every few minutes, and uploaded several hundred photos to Flickr (see Figure 2). Followers could also track their progress via a Google Maps mashup, which plotted their location using a GPS signal from an iPhone. By combining channels in this way, Toyota would maximize its reach, while providing users with an in-depth, engaging view of the activities in both pictures and text (see Figure 3).
Third-party blogs and news outlets gave the story legs. Blogs with authority in the
automotive/environmental space, such as TreeHugger.com and Autoblog, were quick to pick the story up, often including not only commentary but pictures from the Flickr site and direct encouragement to click through to the official blog.3 The Autopia blog from Wired.com also featured the drive, with the compliment that It doesnt feel like it was scripted by suits.4
2009, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited
Figure 1 The Toyota iQ Blog Served As The Hub For The Hypermiling Attempt

Source: Toyota Web site

55135 Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
Figure 2 Frequent Tweets Gave Users A Direct Connection To The Drivers

Source: Twitter Web site

Figure 3 Hundreds Of Photos On Flickr Kept Followers Updated

Source: ickr Web site

Best Practice Results: Wide Reach And Third-Party Traffic Growth The attempt succeeded, with the iQ recording an average mpg of 71.6. According to Toyota, while the metrics used need evolving, the event met all the strategic requirements and formed an invaluable platform for further activity.
Goals were met with 60-plus blog reports and 200% traffic increase. The hypermiling activity

was picked up and commented on by 64 blogs, with a potential reach of more than 100 million
September 9, 2009 2009, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited
worldwide and 3.7 million in the UK. Traffic to the iQ blog increased by more than 200%, with the volume of visitors coming from third-party sites such as blogs increasing from 15% to more than 50%. The exact cost of the social media element of the launch is difficult to extract the Toyota blog, for example, continues with funding from the Web development, not marketing, budget but Simon estimates it was something in the region of 5% of the launch marketing budget overall.
Fortunately though, our senior guys already get the value. While the headline reach
numbers are high, they dont give a lot of insight into the effect of the content on the consumer. Also, as Simon Rutherford says, he is focused on the UK market; for him, having US readers of the content is of no direct value. Much of the current proof of success for senior management has come from more nebulous suggestions. For example, by having the positive commentary from the official and third-party blogs online, Toyota has provided a valuable counterpoint to any negative discussion. In the future, both Toyota and iCrossing will be looking to refine metrics and to deliver measures of UK customer acquisition, for example, rather than more PRdriven metrics such as total reach.
Having a blog has been a publishing revelation! Whats next? Toyota sees its official blog
as continuing to be very important; while the corporate site remains structured and tightly editorially controlled, the blog allows much freer commentary. Similar activities driving a new vehicle around the country were also recently conducted for the new generation Toyota Prius, concentrating more on meeting current and potential customers rather than generating wider awareness.5

r e comm e n d at i ons

how to Apply toyotas Best Practice
How can you take the learnings from Toyota and iCrossings activities and implement them in your own organization?
Dont underestimate the importance of listening. Not only will listening carefully before
making a move let you know what your online consumers are saying about you, it will also give you an early heads-up on topics that are becoming hot for them and give you the chance to be the first to provide interesting, unique, and trustworthy content on the subject. Start with the plethora of free online tools such as Technorati and Bloglines to get a quick idea of what is going on, and upgrade to a listening platform to provide ongoing, thorough insight into online conversations.6 Of course, listening cant happen in isolation. Before leaping onto ideas culled from online chatter, validate the ideas through external experts or consumer research or in Toyotas case, through many years of experience in understanding what auto commentators are likely to be interested in.

Focus closely on the benefits social media achieves that other media cant. Jumping into
social media strategy shouldnt be the default just because I can or because my competitor does. Here, social media fulfilled specific goals talking to consumers about complex subjects and energizing reputable bloggers to spread the word goals that would be hard to reach in other channels. Always ensure that your social media efforts have a clear goal in mind, a goal that social media can meet better than any other channel, and think from the beginning about how you are going to measure your steps toward that goal.
Combine social media channels to increase engagement. By using Twitter and Flickr as
well as a blog, Toyota and iCrossing ensured that visitors had access to multiple types of information about the drive and several reasons to keep returning to the content such as to see the latest updates and pictures. The Twitter feed encouraged direct interaction with the drivers, and those who lived on the route could recognize landmarks or even go say hello. By using various channels carefully, interactive marketers can extract more value from a social media campaign and have access to a wider variety of metrics to track success.

Endnotes

Some of the online advertising for the iQ can be seen at the Toyota Web site. Source: Toyota (http://www. toyota.co.uk/iq). More information on agency iCrossing can be found on its Web site. Source: iCrossing (www.icrossing. co.uk ). See the relevant blog posts at Autoblog Green and TreeHugger.com. Source: Jeremy Korzeniewski, Toyota increases its iQ with hypermiling stunt, Autoblog Green, January 29, 2009 (http://www.autobloggreen. com/2009/01/29/toyota-increases-its-iq-with-hypermiling-stunt/) and Michael Graham Richard, Toyota iQ Hypermiling Challenge: 18 Cities on a Tank of Fuel, 59.42 MPG, TreeHugger.com, January 29, 2009 (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/toyota-iq-hypermiling-challenge-uk-59-mpg.php). See the full post at the Wired.com Web site. Source: Keith Barry, Toyota Shows Its Hypermiling iQ, Autopia, January 29, 2009 (http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/01/toyota-shows-of/). More information about the Prius drive can be found on the Toyota blog. Source: Melissa Coulton, The future development of Today / Tomorrow, Today / Tomorrow (http://blog.toyota.co.uk) and on the Twitter stream Toyota_UK_Prius. Marketers are using listening platforms to keep up with the rapidly evolving world of online discussions. But a crowded and immature marketplace with many confusing messages makes selecting the right listening platform challenging. To help, Forrester has identified five questions that marketers must answer to narrow the selection process. Marketers must: 1) define listening objectives; 2) evaluate the vendors source coverage; 3) understand underlying technology; 4) determine financial and human investment; and 5) assess organizational readiness. See the May 5, 2009, How To Chose A Listening Platform report.

Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 20 key roles at major companies providing proprietary research, customer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 26 years, Forrester has been making IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful every day. For more information, visit www.forrester.com. 2009, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester, Technographics, Forrester Wave, RoleView, TechRadar, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. To purchase reprints of this document, please email clientsupport@forrester.com. For additional information, go to www.forrester.com. 55135