Hybrid cars came in even as fast as the Internet. We always thought that the American market was not ready for electric cars. The Ford company had started massive investments in electric cars technology, before Ford Jr. shrinked back, assuming that the market wasn't mature enough.
However, Toyota launched the Prius and showed that the demand was high. The car manufacturer had already successfully launched Lexus in the luxurious cars market segment, and they are competing face-to-face with American automobile manufacturers with the new Tundra truck; Toyota, what's your secret?
Their secret is marketing. Not any kind though: Smart marketing. In order to make their Prius popular, Toyota got a little help from the EMA: The Environmental Media Association. Based in LA, it is the EMA who "lobbied" on movie stars to be seen driving the green car. The director of EMA, NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly, said that Toyota was trying to make the Hybrid a little cooler.
Toyota probably didn't need stars advertising the car, assuming that the American market already had an existing niche demanding such a clean transportation solution. However, electric cars have limits, and the body aesthetic is one. The not-so-sexy shape of the body is due to aero-dynamics requirements: the shape penetrates better the air flows, generating energy savings for the not-modern-enough batteries technology.
So my assumption is that Toyota invested to make its car popular to go beyond its niche segment. Toyota wants to make the Hybrid a common American household belonging. Toyota wants to be cool and this could only be possible by making John Travolta drive the car in the "Be cool" movie (Get shorty's sequel). Travolta... Toyota... hum... no.
Toyota tries to fabulize itself to penetrate the polluting American market, but not only: The diesel technology is a serious competitor, its traction power is impressive, the exhaust is neat, a full tank is cheaper and the gas is slower to consume. In a way, Toyota is locking the market, in an attempt to appear as the only green alternative to good old war-provoking gasoline.
The hidden hybrid PR coup
