Toyota stays with Draftfcb

Johannesburg - A business reshuffle at Toyota Motor Corporation's marketing division has left its incumbent South African agency unscathed. Toyota has set up two new companies to manage its marketing, one for Japan and the other for the rest of the world.

But there'll be no change in its policy of leaving local decision-making to local subsidiaries - which means Draftfcb remains its South African ad agency.

This will be much to the chagrin of Saatchi & Saatchi, owned by Publicis Groupe of France, which is Toyota's international agency of choice. In Japan, Toyota advertising is handled by Dentsu, Japan's giant number one agency.

Toyota is Saatchi's second-biggest global client after Procter & Gamble, and Saatchi is clearly itching to get its hands on Toyota SA as well.

But the appointment of Draftfcb (in the days when it was still known as Lindsay Smithers FCB) goes back 48 years, and looks as solid as ever. Four years ago it gained an additional piece of business from Toyota - its Lexus luxury car.

"We don't disclose contract durations but Draftfcb will be our agency for the next year and we have no intention to pitch out the account in the medium term," says Marius Vorster, vice-president of marketing, planning and communication.

"The relationship is sound and their creative work resonates well with our customers. Draftfcb produces iconic South African campaigns that speak to the hearts and minds of our customers. They understand our business and have been a valued partner over the years."

Toyota is the world's largest vehicle maker, and in the US alone spends R10bn a year on advertising. But it has just posted its third consecutive quarterly loss, and like its competitors it is scrambling to cut costs.

The Nielsen Company put Toyota's SA adspend at R150m last year.

- Fin24.com