Global Toyota enjoys a strong local reputation

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2019

In the 2019 Colmar Brunton Corporate Reputation Index released today, in partnership with Wright Communications, Toyota New Zealand is the only international brand to figure in the top 10 companies.

It is also the only vehicle supplier in the top 20 most reputable companies.

Sitting in fourth position amongst Kiwi brand icons such as Air New Zealand and The Warehouse is great news for Toyota and reaffirms its decades-long commitment to New Zealand and providing Kiwi motorists with reliable and affordable vehicles.

Notably the Colmar Brunton Corporate Reputation Index is based on the global RepZ framework and measures four standard attributes to arrive at a total reputation score.

Toyota scored highly on all four attributes of leadership/success, fairness, trust and responsibility.

Toyota’s long-term success as New Zealand’s leading new vehicle supplier and its reputation for trust and reliability are well known and documented.

Toyota NZ Chief Executive Alistair Davis said Toyota was thrilled to be ranked so highly alongside local brands. “After such a major change to the way we do business last year with the Drive Happy Project, we are thrilled that consumers still have trust in Toyota as a brand.”

“While we source our vehicles from Toyota off-shore, we really see ourselves as a local company and part of the fabric of New Zealand life.”

As the brand which has nearly a quarter of all vehicles on New Zealand’s road, Toyota takes its responsibility to customers and the environment very seriously.

“With transport emissions accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all carbon output, we have a large influence on how New Zealand will progress to a zero-carbon economy. A central strategy to achieve this is electrification, such as through self-charging hybrid technology,” he says.

By around 2025, all Toyota and Lexus models will have an ‘electrified’ option (self-charging hybrid electric, plug-in electric hybrid, full electric or hydrogen fuel cell) so these gains can be achieved across the range. Mr Davis says that the 14,000 electrified vehicles Toyota has sold new in New Zealand over the past 15 years saves about 12,000 metric tonnes of CO2 each year.

Toyota’s responsibility programme is also about growing and supporting the best of New Zealand life. It is involved in environmental programmes such as Toyota Kiwi Guardians in partnership with the Department of Conservation; sports with Olympics, Paralympics, Toyota Racing New Zealand and Emirates Team New Zealand, and families with Parenting Place.

In the key reputation attribute of fairness, Toyota registered the third highest score (113), after Pak’n’Save (123) and The Warehouse (115). These three brands are known for their strong value proposition and create a sense of fair pricing about the company.

An example of Toyota’s commitment to fairness is the Drive Happy Project. In a move to reduce customer “bothers” when buying a new car, Toyota NZ completely re-fashioned its sales process in 2018. The Drive Happy Project introduced a haggle-free fair and transparent price (including all on-road costs), a centralised stock system, a configure-your-own vehicle website, and a seven-day money-back guarantee policy.

“With the Drive Happy Project, we decided to address the fundamental customer issues about hard sell and price negotiation that came up time and time again in research.

“While we may have lost a few deal hunters, the majority or our customers and Toyota dealers are enjoying the new process and the fact there is longer a confrontational relationship between the customer and the dealer,” Mr Davis said.

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