Moving Communications Forward

I've often talked about Toyota's leadership as a green brand, their dedication to innovation and plentiful and captivating advertising in the sustainability space. But recently, they have gone beyond what we have all come to expect; they have decided to peel back the curtain and give drivers a peak of what is going on inside. Check it out: http://www.aimzeroemissions.eu/

Not only is this good sustainability marketing, this is just damn good marketing. Toyota is already the thought leader in this category but they now have opened themselves up to allow for transparency (or at least perceived transparency) and increased relevance. Ultimately, if they use this blog right, this could lead to some of the best collaboration within the automobile category. With this site, Toyota has an opportunity, to lead, aggregate and influence the conversation to alternative transportation solutions, something that will be crucial to fight against climate change.

While the blog is quite young, it will be interesting to watch as the entries progress and grow as well as what people choose to comment on. And while I realize this is a European focused site, the web has no boundaries, so I hope that Americans will find interest and relevance in this site as well. In order to really benefit from the potential collaboration on this site, it will need to become a global conversation.

I have already tagged http://www.aimzeroemissions.eu/ as one of my favorites and will be checking back often to see what Mr. Hensley and the world's drivers have to share.

Too Little, Too Late?

This week, the NY Times reported that GM will struggle to make it through 2009 without an economic bailout from the government. Over the past few months we have talked a bit about GM's entry and promising growth into the sustainability discussion. Just over two months ago, J.D. Powers and Associates reported that GM's ranking as the most sustainable car brand in the blogosphere was just narrowly behind Toyota, a huge win for GM. Or so we thought... (Read the post: GM Makes Green Strides)

It is one of our core beliefs that brands who are the first to enter into the sustainability discussion in their industry will reap the greatest reward. Brands that demonstrate leadership and dynamism and share a true vision have always risen to the top. Think of BP versus ExxonMobil or Walmart versus Target.

That's why it is hard, given the recent news, not to think about Toyota's vision versus GM's. One can't help but wonder: what would GM look like today if they had embraced the changing energy and automobile landscape sooner, instead of ignoring it for so long. What if they had been the first (or even the second or third) to enter into the hybrid market? Does vision matter? Only if you want to survive.

GM Makes Green Strides

Back in August, we shared some of GM's sustainability advertising on this blog. We were encouraged by GM's willingness to finally change and asked the question:

Will [the consumer] be willing to change along with GM?

Looks like we got our answer. Check out a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates Web intelligence division.

GM Makes Green Strides

It goes to show the merit to communicating in this space. Just a year ago Toyota and Honda dominated this discussion, and today, the playing field has been leveled-- at least in terms of awareness. It took some courage and leadership (not to mention some real investment) for GM to change. But will it be in time?

Having the GM brand rank amongst long-time eco-forward thinking brands such as Whole Foods, Wal-Mart and eBay is just the beginning. Let's see if their sales numbers match.