The On-Demand Brand: 10 Rules for Digital Marketing Success in an Anytime, Everywhere World

Q & A

NAME A SUCCESSFUL

digital

marketing initiative for

Toyota’s Scion auto brand,

and Adrian Si is likely the

man behind it.

Second Life? Been

there, conquered that—by

way of Scion City, where

residents can test drive,

customize, purchase, and

drive virtual versions of

their Scion xB. But Si cer-

tainly didn’t stop there.

Working with social

media firm Millions of Us,

Adrian Si:

Rewriting

the Rules of Branded

Entertainment

Adrian Si, head of interactive marketing for Toyota’s

Scion brand

Scion created a site called WhatIsScionCity.com. It features six short

films that use the technique known as “machinima”—cinema staged

and filmed from within Second Life’s virtual world environment,

using avatars as the film’s characters—with each film providing clues

to the history of Scion City. In keeping with the brand’s spirit of per-

sonalization, viewers can contribute their own research findings, with

the idea that the masses will collectively unveil the origins of this

“mysterious city.”

And then there’s the crown jewel of Scion’s branded entertainment

portfolio, Scion Broadband, which finances and showcases short films,

music videos, animation, and other creative work designed to connect

with the brand’s target consumers in potent new ways.

Of course, for many brand marketers, a number of questions imme-

diately come to mind.

Rick Mathieson: Why Scion Broadband? Why is a branded enter-

tainment portal such a powerful marketing vehicle for a brand like

yours?

Adrian Si: We’ve been very lucky that we’ve been able to associate

ourselves with this emerging group of creative types—whether they’re

in fashion, film, arts, whatever the category may be. This is just

another way for us to show how we are strong supporters of that

group, and I think a lot of people say, “Hey, those Scion guys aren’t in-

your-face about marketing, they truly believe in this very creative,

artistic community,” and this is just one example.

We’ve found there is some power in having a video platform in

which to share artists’ passions and pursuits, as well as to spread the

word to our users. It’s been a really, really positive experience for us.

RM: Scion’s model isn’t merely advertainment. Your approach

seems to be that this is targeted entertainment programming that just

happens to be underwritten by a brand. What is the benefit of that

kind of hands-off approach?

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THE ON-DEMAND BRAND

AS: We felt it would be better if we try to pick and choose, and pro-

vide content that we felt would be interesting to our target. That

allows us a platform in which to support some of the new emerging

artists, directors, filmmakers, and people that we’ve been working with

throughout our history.

I think from [a marketing perspective] we’ve seen—especially for

this younger target—that they’re very savvy, and they can tell when

something is authentic or not. And so for us, Scion Broadband is really

about maintaining that authenticity with this target audience.

RM: Other brands have taken a cue from Scion—Adidas.tv,

American Eagle, and the ill-fated Bud.tv, for instance. How do you at

Scion Broadband, as one youth-oriented online entertainment net-

work, differentiate yourselves from other emerging networks that will

overlap your audience?

AS: First of all, we’re completely different industries. From our

perspective, we’re not necessarily looking to differentiate ourselves. I

think we have a core DNA that has always been about being authen-

tic, not being in your face about marketing.

So as long as we hold to that DNA, it doesn’t really matter to us

what other brands are doing. For us, everything that we do is talking

about, “Yes we’re a car brand, but we’re so much more than a car

brand.” I think as long as we stay true to [that DNA], that’s all that

we’re really concerned about.

RM: But what happens when it seems like every brand out there

gets its own broadband entertainment network?

AS: I equate that to thinking about the idea of a website. Ten

years ago, companies started adopting websites. Now today, what

company doesn’t have its own website? Everybody has their own

website. Now it’s on to “What is the next big thing?” Basically it’s

just a natural evolution. Pretty much every large brand will not only

have websites, but they’ll have all this rich content. So be it. Who

ADRIAN SI

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