TOYOTA
LMD Readers’
MOST LOVED BRANDS
Q: Could you share your brand’s history and its progression over the last year?
A: Led by a vision to become the most respected and admired mobility solutions provider in the country, Toyota Lanka is the exclusive dealer and distributor for the Toyota, Lexus and Hino brands in Sri Lanka.
It is a fully owned subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho – Japan, and a global member of the prestigious Toyota Group.
Its range of products and services include Toyota, Lexus, Toyota Quality Service, Toyota Genuine Parts, Toyota Genuine Motor Oil, Toyota Forklifts and Material Handling Equipment; and tyre brands including Pirelli, Accelera and Otani.
The brand offers many more value added services including end-to-end customer-centric services at each customer touch point, from the point of vehicles sales to authentic and reliable after sales services in the long term.
Toyota Lanka is on a rapid expansion drive of its business verticals with 18 branches across Sri Lanka spanning all major cities.
Q: In what ways should organisations maintain a balance between investments, innovation and financial performance, given the present business environment?
A: One way to balance all these imperatives is to keep evaluating the efficacy of your business model. Led by a new vision to become a mobility company, Toyota is transforming its business model.
New initiatives have been planned as part of this transformation including Toyota Lanka Auto Academy, which will train and develop skills of future generations to become skilled professionals, empowering them to go overseas for better job opportunities.
These comprise AutoStream.lk, a dynamic web platform for vehicle sellers of any brand; Blue-T, to revolutionise the vehicle buying experience with its cutting-edge AI driven grading service for all vehicle brands; Toyotsu Lanka, a subsidiary of Toyota Lanka, established to provide first-class automotive solutions for all vehicle brands, now providing these services through the Pit & Drive service chain.
They include Toyota InsureX, partnerships with leading insurance businesses to provide the best plans for Toyota vehicles.
The company is planning to expand business verticals to the tourism industry such as rent-a-car and fleet management.
Q: Provide an update on the status and developments in Toyota’s global operations…
A: Toyota believes that the very concept of the automobile is on the verge of major change. As Toyota Lanka Chairman Sachio Yotsukura says: “The automotive industry has entered an era of profound transformation, the likes of which come only once every 100 years. Toyota’s new global vision is to lead the future mobility society, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people.”
“Toyota’s global mission is to ‘produce happiness for future society through transportation by building a new business model.’ This will shift Toyota from a manufacturing company to a mobility company,” he adds.
Q: What strategies or measures are being implemented to align Toyota Lanka with the overarching goals and standards of the global Toyota brand?
A: The rethink and transformation of an enduring global brand such as Toyota in itself makes headline news.
In Sri Lanka, Toyota has been an automobile solutions integrator since 1995. By 2030, we want to transform our automobile service model to a mobility company, and provide mobility solutions for all sectors in the country through diverse products, service offerings and logistics needs, and contribute to the economy.
It remains a much loved brand in Sri Lanka, judging by the prominent rankings in past LMD Brands Annuals such as No. 1 in the ‘Most Loved Automobile’ category; and top rankings as ‘Most Loved Corporate Brand,’ ‘Most Loved Product Brand,’ ‘Most Loved Service Brand’ and ‘Most Loved Lubricant Brand.’
Q: What steps have you taken to integrate socially responsible practices into your branding strategy – and how has this impacted consumer perception?
A: The new ethos of Toyota strives to adopt a broad, community and society level perspective that includes cars, which in essence is the concept of the ‘connected city.’ Toyota believes that manufacturing is about developing people while creating mass happiness for customers and employees.
Toyota’s chairman counts ‘competitiveness unique to Toyota’ or the ability to refine costs while relentlessly pursuing the ideal balance between quality and cost, and a constant continuous improvement, as vital; also compassion as a key Toyota trait is ingrained in its employees, which earns respect from others.
Telephone: 2939000 | Email: info@toyota.lk | Website: www.toyota.lk
