REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 27, 2001 — MSN® today announced it will collaborate with Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. on the most extensive, fully integrated marketing effort in automotive history, which will incorporate the reach of MSN and the technology and product offerings available to marketers through the MSN Advantage Marketing program. Less than three weeks after unveiling the MSN Advantage Marketing program, MSN customized its expanded technology, products and service offerings to tightly integrate with and enhance the performance of Toyotas multiplatform campaign in a series of firsts on MSN.
“We developed a breakthrough campaign for Toyota that will help in moving the meter on brand with the 2002 Toyota Camry,”
said Richard Bray, vice president of MSN at Microsoft Corp.
“Our technology expertise is a major factor as to how MSN Advantage Marketing maximizes the effectiveness of Toyotas message with our savvy, upscale Internet audience.”
“MSN and its innovative digital marketing solutions offer a unique approach to launching the newest generation of our No. 1-selling car, the Camry, for 2002,”
said Steve Sturm, vice president of marketing, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA Inc.
“We are extending our message online so that consumers can experience the Camry brand through interactive audio and video on MSN.”
Toyotas 2002 Camry integrated marketing campaign will be the first campaign to utilize the Next Generation Ad Products streaming media solutions offered through the MSN Advantage Marketing program. Toyota will extend the reach of its broadcast commercials, which will begin airing in September, by running them online as 15-second spots before video content viewed at WindowsMedia.com, part of the MSN network. The spots will be in industry-leading Windows Media™ Video for the highest quality and broadcast reach. They will be playable on the forthcoming Windows Media Player for the Windows® XP operating system, scheduled to be available Oct. 25. Other Next Generation Ad Products will be used by Toyota, including the Internet Advertising Bureaus new, larger skyscraper and showcase ad units. In addition to their ability to interactively engage users through a multimedia experience, these new sizes and shapes enable marketers to deliver their offline, print creative content online with MSN. The combination of these technologies and formats enables Toyota to deliver a consistent message across all media types, increasing the impact of its multiplatform advertising and lifestyle initiative.
To optimize its 60 percent reach and savvy online audience, MSN customized the 2002 Camry campaign to include, for the first time, both of the premier advertising placements on MSN.com. A third placement, on the home page of MSN, will feature a photograph of the all-new redesigned Camry. An accompanying caption will link to a special vehicle page on the MSN Carpoint™ online automotive service, the No. 1 most-visited car-buying and ownership site on the Web, which features additional photographs and a detailed description of Toyota Camry updates and options. According to an August MSN Carpoint survey, 85 percent of car buyers who plan to use the Internet before purchasing their next car will be exposed to placements throughout the site. Visitors to the Internets No. 1 most-visited online news site, MSNBC.com, and Slate® online magazine also will be exposed to streaming media banners and showcase ads.
About Toyota
Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota in the United States and is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. Through a network of nearly 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers, it has achieved sales of more than 1 million vehicles annually over the past 11 years. TMS goal is to become the
“most successful and respected car company in America.”
Toyota Motor Corp. and its manufacturing subsidiaries produced more than 5.8 million vehicles worldwide in 2000. Toyota vehicles are manufactured in 25 countries and are renowned for their quality, reliability and value. Toyota is the third-largest vehicle manufacturer and the fourth-largest automaker in North America.
About MSN
MSN is the worlds most popular destination on the Web, attracting more than 250 million visitors per month. Available in 33 markets and 17 languages, MSN provides consumers with their home on the Web where they can get everything they need from the Web and make the most of their time online. MSN is a world leader in delivering Web services to consumers and digital marketing solutions to businesses worldwide. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, MSN, Windows Media, Windows, Carpoint and Slate are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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