Friend Your Toyota
Last January, Toyota’s Prez Akio Toyoda visited Salesforce.com CEO and cloud computing proselytizer extraordinaire Mark Benioff in Benioff’s sprawling compound on the Big Island of Hawaii.
After Toyoda got over the t-shirts and became used to the 6 foot 5 Benioff (who looks especially imposing next to a rather petite Toyoda), Benioff whipped out an iPad and showed Toyoda his idea of a Toyota Friend Network. What he had in mind was a giant mash-up of cloud-based telematics, CRM systems, pre- and aftersales dialog marketing, with a huge dose of Twitter (or “Chatter” as his proprietary system is called) and Facebook.
“I was really, really moved,” said Akio Toyoda today at a press conference at the Toyota Megaweb. He was so moved that 5 months later, Toyota, Microsoft, and Salesforce.com formed a joint venture, capitalized with a moderate 1 billion yen ($12 million). The company is called Toyota Media Service Co., the product is called “Toyota Friend,” and it will be offered first in Japan, initially with Toyota’s EVs and plug-in hybrids due out by 2012.
Toyoda sees Toyota Friend as a network that connects cars, customers, dealers, manufacturers, with the added twist that the car can converse with the customer. Toyoda admitted that like many of us, on occasion he talks to the car when he has it on the test track or the race circuit. Now, the car can talk back.
Benioff sees Toyota Friend as a Facebook or Twitter on wheels. “The car that is plugged into the electricity is the car that is plugged into the network.”
At a demonstration today, a yet to be introduced Toyota plugin sends a tweet to the owner who forgot to connect the charger after he came back home. He has to run out, stick the charger into the car. The rest is done on auto. After a series of tweets, the car tweets back that it will commence charging at a TEPCO-aware 11pm.
The car could also send (dealers will love that) reminders to come to the scheduled inspection. A coupon for a discount oil change was included, electronically. Dealers will love that even more.
Dealers need to be showered with love from this service, because some dealers may eye that chatter between customer and manufacturer with suspicion, fearing disintermediation by Twitter.
Benioff talks well, but he tweets even better. He’s a walking Twitter-machine.
“Heading to http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/index for announcement with Toyota for later today!”
“Salesforce.com and Toyota make an important announcement today in Tokyo at MegaWeb. http://img.mu/Nm1Hzb”
During the press conference, Benioff whips out his iPad, aims it at himself and Toyoda and tweets:
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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When I was still reading the IT journals Benioff and his Salesforce.com seemed to get pretty good press. This deal with Toyota could work out well for both companies.
Does Akio speak EN? Toyota social probably not the future.