I don’t know if Toyota’s marketing plan will work for the bZ4X
The Toyota bZ4X is a confusing machine in many ways. The all-electric SUV is a clone of the Subaru Solterra, a vehicle that will continue to qualify for federal tax credits while Toyota’s will begin phasing out this year. It’s loaded with polarizing styling cues and doesn’t quite live up to the competition on the playing field. And to be honest, I just don’t know if Toyota’s marketing plan will work for its people.
Let me explain. Introducing the bZ4X at the press test I attended, Toyota noted that the market demographic for its $40,000 to $50,000 EV would be slightly older people, likely between the ages of 35 and 55, who make at least $100,000 a year and are likely looking to make the transition to their very first electric vehicle.
Its good. It is very good. But how does Toyota plan to reach this demographic?
Through internet influencers and advertisements targeting a younger audience, likely the 20-35 age bracket.
It looks a bit misaligned. The target demographic group makes sense. The marketing campaign makes sense. But paired up, there’s not a ton of alignment here. If your likely buyer is someone with a solid foundation in life — an established career, a comfortable city home, a stable job — then it’s a bit odd to ask a TikTok star to promote the vehicle with a video on how it’s a perfect transition vehicle for a youngster.
Toyota also notes that it has a strong partnership with EV charging companies, so you’ll be able to access reduced or free rates when charging on the go while also offering reduced rates on installing chargers. home. That last bit was something Toyota really mentioned during the press launch. How cool that you can figure out all your home charging needs when you buy an EV!
But, again, Toyota says its population is likely urban dwellers, which means…no home charging.
There are many, shall we say, interesting decisions that have been made in the development of this electric vehicle. I’m just not convinced that many of them will work.
