Toyota sets the price of the car via Facebook
In Australia, Toyota offers its fans the chance to buy the new FJ Cruiser cheaper if a sufficient number of people ‘Like’ the brand on a new mini site. Each time a consumer clicks on the ‘Like’ button, the car price drops 5 Australian dollars. This car’s catalogue price is $50,334. Toyota is prepared to sell the car for a minimum price of $30,000. But to get there, at least 4,000 people have to click on ‘Like’ before March 28. If there are more ‘Likes’, Toyota will add a few free extras as well.
In order to use this promotion, you have to ‘Like’ it of course. Furthermore, you are also asked to describe in 25 words why you deserve the discount. After merely 1 week there already were 4,000 ‘Likes’. Small extra detail of the story: the discount will not be given to everyone, but everyone stands a ‘chance’ of getting it. This type of campaign was already organised before by Skoda in Belgium (October 2010).
The beauty of the campaign is the interaction with the consumer, which is linked with a possible benefit. I also wonder whether there are no other ways than to throw around such giant discounts. You will inevitably get the effect that the value is reduced. A lot of people might click on the Like button, but are not intending to buy this car at all, not even if they win the discount.
The challenge is to take it one step further and to search for the added value that you could add via a Facebook ‘Like’ button.