Toyota’s ads drive Hispanic loyalty

Toyota isn’t just winning the battle for Hispanic consumers — it’s dominating the nation’s second-largest ethnic group, in a triumph that’s more than 30 years in the making.

The brand accounted for five of the top six nameplates sold to Hispanics in 2022, according to U.S. new-vehicle registration data from S&P Global Mobility.

The Toyota RAV4 crossover led the way, followed by the Corolla and Camry sedans in third and fourth place, the Tacoma pickup in fifth and the Highlander crossover in sixth. Only Chevrolet’s Silverado pickup, at No. 2, stopped Toyota from a clean sweep of the upper ranks.

Such a showing doesn’t happen out of nowhere. Toyota Motor North America said it’s a byproduct of a long-running, concerted effort to engage Hispanic consumers. The automaker began working with its Hispanic advertising agency, Conill Advertising, in 1987 to build authentic connections with these buyers, said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota marketing.

“We are very excited about what the future holds, because we know the Hispanic population just continues to increase in importance,” she told Automotive News. “Not only the number of Hispanic consumers, but the purchasing power that they represent, which is near $2 trillion. And I’m personally excited by the fact that the Hispanic demographic skews younger because I think that brings some exciting opportunities and different ways to engage and connect with this population.”

Toyota has rooted its ad strategy in delivering relatable content. It has partnered with the Latin American Music Awards, formed relationships with social media influencers and leveraged the community’s love of soccer by crafting spots around the World Cup tournament that happens every four years.

Conill has “the deep cultural insight into the market that we know is key to connecting with these consumers,” Materazzo said. “It’s actually a strategy that we have not only with our Hispanic consumers, but also with African American and with Asian American consumers. It is a key part of our go-to-market strategy to be partnering with multicultural agencies that have this deep understanding of who we’re speaking to.”

The Toyota brand has been No. 1 among Hispanics for 19 consecutive years. The Hispanic contribution to the brand’s overall U.S. sales has doubled to 24 percent in 2022 from 12 percent in 2010.

The RAV4, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Tacoma and Sienna minivan were all No. 1 in their segment for Hispanics last year.