Sure, Toyota’s brand is in peril. We’re reading about this all over the place. But here’s a thought beyond the conventional wisdom about the fall of Toyota and its brand. It will bounce back, and fast. Here’s why. Toyota has spent the better part of 40 years building its reputation in the U.S. market. It has millions of brand-loyal customers. And for the most part, Toyota has maintained its brand with a focus on customer safety and satisfaction, with the goods to back it up.

It wasn’t just a made-up story Toyota wanted to tell. It had the customer-satisfaction scores and consumer-testing-agency scores to back it up. The Toyota brand was real, believable and of the highest integrity. Most important, it came from within, not from customer focus groups. This built a tremendous amount of brand equity in the U.S. market, equity the company will rely on for the next few years.

Unlike the U.S. automakers, Toyota (and its luxury division, Lexus) is a solid brand, and it will weather this storm. In a few years, Toyota will regain its market share and be back with a vengeance. Its leaders have made it their objective to regain their No. 1 brand position in the hearts and minds of American consumers, and you can be sure the company’s commitment to return to glory is job one. Nothing less will do for this company.

Posted in: Uncategorized

No Comments