How Not To Use Twitter
February 1, 2010 at 10:51 am
Back in the heady days of summer, I applauded Toyota Ireland for their use of Twitter and their innovative idea to promote the Toyota iQ by giving 4 bloggers the to drive and blog about for 6 months. They reached out via Twitter and selected four people (including myself) who would blog monthly and post about their experience of using the car. Good for link love and great for PR. It was an inspired idea.
Today I’m sorry to say that the very same people are to be noted for how NOT to use Twitter.
There has been a lot of media coverage over the weekend about the car recall Toyota. Toyota have had to recall several models due to an accelerator problem. On Newstalk this morning they were talking about the Toyota car recall. I’m sure it was on all the media – for many people (like me) I’d expect to be hearing about it online too. While the Toyota Ireland website has some information in its news section. There is nothing on Twitter.
There are countless examples of organisations failing to use Twitter during times of crisis management. The Channel Tunnel at Christmas was the most recent example and countless commentators have written about the lessons to be learned. Here in Ireland, Bord Gais are simultaneously lauded for their blogger/Twitter outreach programme last year, but knocked for forgetting all about it when people were wondering what was going on with the stolen laptops.
Now Toyota is making the same mistake.
Screenshot of Toyota Ireland’s Twitter page this morning, not a word about the recalled vehicles:
This is probably because Toyota Ireland have outsourced their “Twitter management” to an agency. The agency isn’t showing any pro-activity by contacting their client to see if they want to use this important channel to communicate with their audience. Toyota, God bless them, are probably running like headless chickens dealing with the crisis. I place the blame on the agency. They sold the Twitter concept in to their client, they should at least be assisting their client to use this new medium in this difficult time. I would love to be writing a post this morning applauding Toyota for their use of Twiter in communicating with clients.
Correction: I’m told that the agency:
ran the IQ competition with them on Twitter. We did not sell in Twitter to them as they already had their Twitter account running. We have no other involvement with their twitter account.
My mistake. I was obviously buying the portfolio propaganda which said:
Eighty:Twenty were briefed to create an innovative launch campaign for the Toyota IQ without any supporting media spend.
And no, I’m not being harsh, someone is not responsible for the management of the Twitter iQ launch campaign.
Last week I tweeted about my last Toyota iQ post and whoever was twittering for Toyota tweeted back (a day late) asking me (very directly I thought) if I was going to buy the car. As I had already had a discussion with Toyota themselves about this (and decided I needed something with a bit more poke), I went to DM on Twitter to say no. I didn’t want to embarrass my car benefactors by stating publicly that I didn’t want the car. But I was amazed to see that Toyota Ireland wasn’t following me, so I was unable to DM.
If you look at who Toyota Ireland is following – it’s a list of other Toyota offices and PR people. Not one of the bloggers they gave a car to. No car enthusiasts. No target market. Nothing.
If you look at the recent Twitter stream – the conversation is about pushing sales messages, every couple of days:
The only chat comes at the start and that’s when I told them they weren’t following me. And they got my name wrong.
So it’s another one to enter the Twitter Hall of Fail.
I really don’t understand how so many can get something so easy so wrong.
Tags: toyota car recall, toyota ireland twitter fail, twitter fail
Blogger In ‘Size Queen’ Revelation Shocker
January 28, 2010 at 7:45 am
The time has come to give back the Toyota iQ.
What I’ve loved:
- The way the heating works. Heated seats, especially in recent weather conditions, have been a God send. Windows are all demisted, car is warm and toasty in minutes. A+ for this!
- Nippy parking and sneaking into tight spaces ability. If you’ve seen a black motor squeezing through spaces that you wouldn’t dare touch in your saloon, that’s me in the iQ.
- Paying no more than €30 to fill the tank at the petrol station. A ++ for this!
- Room for fiancé and dog in front seat. This is because there’s no big dashboard/glove compartment.
What I’ve not liked:
- The fact that there is no glove compartment means you’ve got to stick everything into a folder thing that falls apart if you try to put more than a packet of tissues in it.
- Sore botty when driving on roads with speed bumps. I’m told this is the case for all Japanese cars, not just the iQ.
- Having to change gear 3 times to make it up the gentle slope that is the N2. The iQ experience has shown me that I’m a bit of a size queen when it comes to cars. I like a big engine with lots of va va voom!
Overall, it’s been a really enjoyable driving experience. I would recommend a Toyota iQ for anyone who does city driving. It’s nippy enough to get around busy urban streets and you don’t need parking fairies when you’ve got an iQ.
Advice to Toyota
- Update following recent interaction on Twitter (29 Jan): if you’re going to get your agency to use Twitter on your behalf, make sure they do it right. Put in some basic guidelines for how they represent you because the odd misinformed tweet here and there is actually damaging to your brand. After this blog was posted, I got asked by @ToyotaIreland on Twitter if I was going to buy the car. A little direct I thought. But obviously not really Toyota because we’d already been through this (and I decided against buying the motor). When I tried to Direct Message Toyota to let them know about this, I discovered that ToyotaIreland wasn’t even following me! You’d think they’d follow at least their 4 bloggers to keep an ear on them! In fairness, the lovely people I’ve dealt with at Toyota don’t seem that Twitter savvy, but the agency who sold them on this whole blogger/Twitter outreach programme should do. (I’m not naming names, but really you know who you are and you should have a bit more cop on).
- If you’re running this experiment again choose the bloggers wisely, ie. make sure you choose bloggers who not only post frequently but ones who are out and about a lot. I found I did lots of ‘selling’ on the car when I was parking it in and around Dublin city centre. Invariably it drew comments from impressed onlookers as they saw me manoeuvre it into tight spaces! This would then spark a conversation about the car, I’d give them a look at the interior, there was many a soft selling opportunity. Actually … we should have a talk about my commission!
- When you’re giving training on the vehicle, it would be helpful to present it in terms of “top 3 points on why it’s green”, “top 3 points on why it’s energy efficient” etc. That is how we bloggers think – in lists – and it took me a little while to get my banter going on when people asked me those questions.
So Mossy the dog says goodbye to the Toyota iQ (and so do I). And thanks to Toyota for giving me free motoring for the last 6 months.
Tags: Toyota IQ
Carbon Tax Budget
December 11, 2009 at 10:17 am
Did I hear it wrong, but did somebody say on the news this morning that we’re having our “Carbon Tax Budget” today? Not two days after the wounds of Wednesday and here we go again? My initial thought was to prepare for the worst, then I remembered I’m driving a Toyota iQ which is fun to drive, but at the same time kind to the planet. I really don’t have to worry at all. The iQ is built to support the environment. I’ve never come across a car handbook that refers to the Kyoto Protocol before! Toyota are all about reducing greenhouse emissions both from their manufacturing plants and from the cars they design. They’re most famous for the Prius and its excellent fuel efficiency and low impact on the environment. The iQ is a new model aimed at the same type of conscious consumer – but going for people who don’t need ‘family wagons’ and are a little more discerning about style.
What makes the iQ so green?
Exterior Design - it’s designed to be light, there’s less metal involved. The torsion beam was reduced in weight by 3.5kg. By adopting ‘cross shaped’ rear wheel flange, another kilo of metal was saved. Perhaps most impressive is the exhaust system that weighs only 6kg. What less weight means is less pressure on the engine to pull the vehicle and therefore using less fuel. I’m filling it up for €28 – €30.
Interior Design - this is where they really went to town. Most cars have a massive heating / air system in the front, between the driver and passenger seat. It takes up a lot of room and harks back to an era when cars were huge beasts (and men dressed like Don Draper in Madmen!). Toyota’s engineers completely rethought the heating system and have placed it in the floor of the iQ.
In our search for space, we developed an ultra-compact air-conditioning unit and repositioned the heater blower unit normally found in the front passenger foot well, to the centre of the instrument panel. Designers went so far as to make the glove box detachable….[Hiroki Nakajima, Chief Engineer of the iQ]
Now I’m not quite down with Hiroki’s detachable glove box – it’s more like fabric folder that a particularly preppy college student would have carried in the 1980′s. It can hold a driving license, a map, an iPod… try stuffing anything into it in a hurry and its press button detaches and it falls to the floor.
While the size of the iQ is A class (smallest of the small), the interior is C class (executive saloon luxury style). And the designers introduced many other innovations designed to enhance the comfort of the driver. An example that jumps to mind are the thinner doors; with no compromise on safety, the space saved gives the driver and passenger more shoulder room.
6 Major Space-Saving Innovations (coming soon to other Toyota models)
- Front-mounted differential
- Centre take-off steering gear
- Flat under-floor fuel tank
- Ultra-slim seat design
- Ultra-compact heater/air conditioning unit
- Asymmetric dashboard design
Car Scrappage Scheme
Car-wise, there were a couple of things announced in Wednesday’s Budget – the hike in petrol/diesel prices (no surprises there) and the car scrappage scheme (which had been leaked to the press and lobbied hard for by the motor industry). I’m no motoring expert, but it just doesn’t seem to stack up to be that attractive. If you own a car that’s more than 10 years old, you can get €1500 of vehicle registration tax relief if you’re buying a new car. It must be certain types of new car – like a nice little planet saver like the iQ. But really – if you’re already driving around a 10+ year old car, you’re not going to be in the market for a brand new car anyway – you’re far more likely to be going for a good second hander.
If I’m missing something that more motoring focused people ‘get’ here, please point it out to me below!
Tags: Car Scrappage Scheme Ireland Budget 2010, Toyota IQ
Attempting to show off in the iQ
October 23, 2009 at 7:23 am
This is me trying to show how easy it is to do a 1 point turn in the iQ. Honestly – the car is so small you can usually do a U-y without fuss. This was shot down in Enniscrone on that last sunny weekend of the summer. I’m putting it up here to show that even experienced drivers like myself can cut out when under pressure. Learner drivers take heart and have a good bank holiday weekend y’all!
Tags: Toyota iQ 1 Point Turn
On Days Like This
October 20, 2009 at 9:10 am
I love my Toyota iQ. Wet dark morning in October, I’m on my way out to the gym. It’s grim. Every car is using its lights and windscreen wipers. Inside my little iQ it’s a warm and satisfying bubble! Heated seats – I could get used to this.
What I don’t like about getting started in the MX5 on damp winter mornings:
- It’s cold in the car
- It’s damp and every window is fogged up. Turn the heat on very hot to adjust the windscreen. Open and close the side windows to try to remove some of the excess moisture.
- Turn on the engine, and go. Back window is plastic (car is convertible) so it’s not easy to see through when covered with damp.
Botty toasting magic in Toyota iQ
- Turn on the engine, turn up the heat. Adjust regulator to make sure it doesn’t get too hot. Within minutes the car is a balmy warm.
- Push botty down into the heated seat. Lean back into the seat to rub back off heated upholstery. Really like that. I feel like a cat.
- Turn on the engine. (It purrs). Back window covered in rain drops? Flick the switch of the back windscreen wiper to ensure clear visiblity as I proceed down my driveway.
It’s a nice way to ease into the day. The interior of the iQ is one of the most marvellous things about it (after the fuel efficiency, and neat storage in the back). It’s the bit I find myself talking about the most when I have passengers. They all marvel at the space in the front. It is deceptive. I get to tell them how Toyota modelled the interior on the high end Avensis model, so it’s executive saloon luxury at small car prices. I also get to tell them how the iQ engineers came up with such a novel way of where to put the air conditioning/heating unit, that in future all Toyota cars will be built this way. (They put it under the floor… look at your car next time and note how much unnecessary space the heating/air takes up in the front).
By the way, I’m filling the car for €28 which to my mind is great value. I’m getting good mileage on that. I still have to play chicken with the fuel guage to work out exactly how many miles/km. But according to Toyota, it should be giving me 4.3litre to the 100km. You can ogle that statistic and more over here.
And now here’s a sexy interior style shot you can enjoy with your cappachino. Keep warm and toasty on this first day of winter. And if you’re driving, be safe on our roads.
Tags: toyota iq interior
iQ Says No To Dog Kennels
September 21, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I’m about to get a puppy. And I’ve secured a much loved dog kennel from a family who have no need for one anymore. Today I popped out to pick it up and the dog kennel will not fit into the boot. I would have said it’s a roomy boot in the iQ up to now, but now I have to rethink. And work out how to get a kennel shipped from one side of the city to the other.
But Porsche Says Yes to Iarfhlaith!
This is not pretend. This beauty belongs to the IIA Web Developer of the Year - Iarfhlaith Kelly. He’s obviously doing lots of things right if he’s got himself a porsche well before his 30th birthday. Well done. Much deserved. Now what are you going to aim for before your next birthday?
Tags: dog kennel, Porsche, Toyota IQ
Giant Fry Outside Window
September 15, 2009 at 7:21 am
Imagine the shock I got when I looked out the window and saw a gigantic massive Stephen Fry outside the window?
Tags: Joke
Coming To Terms With A Quiet Horn
September 7, 2009 at 8:14 am
I mentioned before that the horn in the Toyota iQ has a voice like David Beckham. That’s a bit hard to get used to as I am the kind of driver that uses the horn to indicate annoyance if someone cuts me off, or I’ll give a little nip if someone is dosing off at the lights when they’ve turned green. (But always after waiting a couple of seconds. And NEVER on a weekend. It’s rude to use your horn on a weekend I believe).
However, someone mentioned that the horn’s voice perhaps is suited to the size of the car. There’s no point in having a growly sounding horn coming out of a body so small?
Tags: David Beckham Horn
Should This Be You?
August 24, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I was racking my brains over the weekend about what to write about the Toyota iQ. I decided to have a little nosy over to the other bloggers to see what they’re writing about and how they’re getting on with their new motors.
- Rob’s been to Dingle and back. And very nippy he found the journey too.
- Keith has fallen in love! His insurance is being suspended and motor tax refunded. “And the IQ will indeed be the only car we use.”
- And Christine?
Christine, the 4th of the bloggers chosen to drive around in a Toyota iQ, doesn’t have a blog. She has a Twitter account, but isn’t that busy on it either. I tweeted her on 14 August to ask her for her blog url so I could link to it in a post, and she only got back to me on 19 August with a reply.
Why did Christine get selected? Is it because she’s in PR
The Toyota iQ that went to Christine could have been given to one of the many hundreds of others who applied. I’m sure they could find someone who actually has a blog.
Do you have a blog and a driving licence? Why don’t you let Toyota know that you’re ready, willing and available to take ownership of an iQ and write about it?
Please note that I’m not just picking on Christine for no reason. I just feel that it needs to be highlighted that 3 out of 4 bloggers are doing their thing about the Toyota iQ. If there is some reason that a non-blogger was selected that I’m not aware of, then please let me know.
Tags: Christine Duggan, Toyota IQ
3 Things That Annoy Me About Toyota iQ
August 14, 2009 at 8:40 am
I’ve been driving the Toyota iQ three weeks now and I’ve come up with three annoying things:
- Over anxious petrol alert – there are four quadrants on the petrol indicator thing. As soon as it reaches the last one, it flashes! Flashing indicates to a user that there is something immediate and urgent that needs to be fixed. Having a quarter of a tank of petrol is not immediate or urgent.
- Over sensitive passenger seat. I am unable to fling my handbag on the passenger seat beside me because the car thinks it’s a person sitting there without a seat belt and it bleeps to express its disgust. I’m not into oversized handbags, I carry normal ones. Admittedly I carry a lot of shit around in them, but they do not weigh the same as a small person. Toyota – please adjust the weight settings. OK, so maybe I shouldn’t be putting my handbag on the passenger seat in the big city (thanks Grannymar for pointing that out!), in that case, the 2nd most annoying thing about the iQ is the horn. If the horn of the iQ had a voice, it would sound like David Beckham! That’s not the kind of voice you need when you’re snarling at big cars who cut you off. Or when you’re giving drivers nodding off at the traffic lights a little nudge to move on.
- Not sensitive enough indicators. A lot of turns I take don’t result in the indicator being switched off automatically. I know that my old car switches off on these turns because they’re ones I take every day. I just have to remember to turn off the indicator, and that’s another thing. This may have something to do with:
But I am loving the fact that in the Toyota iQ I have become a Master of the 1 Point Turn!
This car is so small in length, you can do a complete about turn in a single lane! If you, like me, often try to take a nifty shortcut and end up facing the wrong direction, you’ll love this! No more endless driving looking for a suitable side street to turn around in. Now you can simply do a sharp turn of the driving wheel and be facing the other direction in one go.
Tags: Toyota IQ
