2. Table of Contents
Phase 1—Situation Analysis and Secondary Research
Introduction 3
Company and Brand History 3
Product Evaluation 4
Consumer Evaluation 5
Competitive Evaluation 6
Marketing Environment 6
SWOT Analysis 10
Works Cited 13
Phase 2—Primary Research
Executive Summary 15
Research Objectives 16
Research Questions 16
Research Methods 16
Research Sample 17
Data Collection and Organization 17
Survey Analysis 18
In-Depth Interview Analysis 28
Discussion and Recommendations 34
Creative Brief 36
2

3. Introduction:
Scion has requested that Masiah Enterprises perform both secondary and primary research to de-
velop a comprehensive integrated marketing communications plan. Our ultimate goal is to gain a
better understanding of Scion’s target consumer and to revive the brand by uncovering the per-
ceptions of this target audience. When Masiah is able to understand and get into the mindset of
the target market, we will be able to shift Scion’s marketing strategies to improve sales and com-
pany profit. This will be accomplished through quality research data and the translation of these
research results into a campaign with an appropriate brand concept and positioning. Masiah will
conduct secondary research with a situational analysis on Scion. We will also conduct primary re-
search utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methods which will reveal valuable in-
formation about existing and potential Scion consumers. Based on the data Masiah collects from
both secondary and primary research, we will make conclusions and offer recommendations on
the future marketing communications for the brand with a specific emphasis on advertising and
public relations initiatives.
Company History and Evaluation:
Scion was introduced in the United States in 2003 as a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. It
was designed to connect with Generation Y consumers in the United States, offering contempo-
rary car bodies and stylish interiors. Scion represents a uniquely personal expression for people
who demand style and innovation in an automobile and every area of life. Their luxury accessory
options can be uniquely customized for each individual, and they exceed those offered by any
other car company while maintaining affordable bottom line prices. Scion is targeted at customers
who are aware of Toyota’s long history of quality, but this parent-company association is down-
played in their marketing. Masiah has concluded that this link should be emphasized in order to
improve sales. The Toyota brand name has earned a high degree of respect for over 70 years of
reliable performance, and this brand awareness should not be overlooked.
One possible problem with Scion is that they have a lack of car options, offering only three differ-
ent models: the tC, xB, and xD. The introduction of new models could possibly expand the brand
and increase company profits and awareness. However, there is a continued debate over the sen-
timents around this issue. The consumers that are truly passionate about Scion feel that the in-
3

4. troduction of new models could be detrimental to the brand because Scion’s exclusive disposition
would be tarnished. These consumers pride themselves on the fact that they are part of a very ex-
clusive brand community, and they feel that increased distribution of new car models would dimin-
ish the unique quality of the brand. Masiah believes that the expansion of the Scion brand through
the introduction of new models would be beneficial for the company despite the negative aspect of
increased distribution.
Another potential problem with Scion is the fact that they are a new brand trying to enter the mar-
ket and use minimal traditional forms of mass media advertising. They rely solely on event promo-
tions and guerrilla marketing to spark word-of-mouth advertising, which makes it difficult to build
widespread awareness and a broader consumer base for a young new brand. This problem could
possibly be solved if Scion created a joint venture with a more established brand dealing with a simi-
lar target market. One possible partner for Scion could be OnStar Navigation, which would enhance
the quality of the Scion product as well as broaden Scion’s consumer base. Another possible part-
ner for Scion could be Geico Auto Insurance, which would also broaden Scion’s consumer base and
give Scion a more responsible brand image. These two joint ventures would allow Scion to access a
larger consumer market based on the heightened awareness of these more established brands, yet
at the same time Scion would not be associating with any direct competitors. Not only would Scion
gain access to a larger market, but an alliance would have the potential to decrease costs and in-
crease profits for both brands involved.
Product Evaluation:
Scion has a flair for bold styling and prides itself on standing out from the crowd. With eye-catching
body styles, idiosyncratic interiors, and features normally found on luxury cars, Scion aims for a dra-
matic first impression. Furthermore, Scion is priced similarly to its competition, with Toyota Corolla
priced the same as Scion at $15,450. However, Scion is priced at over $3000 more than Yaris, the
lowest priced Toyota vehicle. One issue with the Scion brand is that most people do not associ-
ate Scion with Toyota. In fact, many people do not even recognize Scion as simply a subsidiary of
Toyota. The reason for this is evident in Scion’s marketing strategy and brand communications. Toy-
ota attempts to convey Scion as an independent brand with a hip, young, and innovative image.
Thus, Toyota is purposefully avoiding an association of their brand name with Scion. In fact, accord-
ing to an article in Automotive News, instead of mixing the Scion vehicles with Corollas and Camry's
4

5. in the generic showroom, Toyota created a new store for Scion “with metallic frameworks and black
walls separating the youth vehicles" from the other cars.
In conclusion, Scion has attempted to establish itself as a separate brand from its parent company
Toyota, which may make or break its reputation as a reliable car brand. As Toyota has gained recog-
nition as one of the top premiere car brand companies, it may be tremendously beneficial to pro-
mote Scion as part of the Toyota empire in order to boost brand recognition, brand image, and
brand awareness.
Consumer Evaluation:
Scion’s target market consists of young people, ages 18 to 24, who acknowledge a cultural move-
ment of non-conformity and unconventional values. These individuals are Generation Y consumers
who consider themselves part of an underground culture and accept an alternative urban life-
style. These consumers have an eccentric taste that caters to creative expression, individual cus-
tomization, and excessive accessorizing. Each individual that is part of Scion’s target market is just
that – individual and unique in their style and outlook.
Since Scion has only been part of the US auto market for the last five years, there is plenty of poten-
tial still left untapped for market penetration. As a result of Scion's positioning, its users are gener-
ally expressive, urban, and individualistic young people. Those not using the product and not affili-
ated with the brand are older generations and, of course, those that are too young to drive a vehi-
cle. Older generations tend to not be affiliated with Scion due to the fact that they are more out of
touch with the alternative lifestyle and non-conformist ideology that Scion is appealing to as their
target market.
However, this target market may be unnecessarily narrowing their prospective consumer base too
much. By focusing on the young and energetic personality of Scion, they can appeal to a much wider
population of young people ages 18 to 24, not just those that are part of an underground cultural
movement. Even though targeting these individuals helps build a committed consumer base that is
loyal and dedicated to the Scion brand, it is important to reach out to those that can be potentially
committed as well. All young people, those that are athletic, in tune with pop culture, part of the
video gaming crowd, and especially those that are passionate about cars and racing cars, should be
considered part of the Scion potential consumer base.
5

6. Competitive Evaluation:
Scion has a very unique and quirky brand personality that tries to appeal to the Gen Y crowd by
priding themselves in having low, pure prices and emphasizing the customization of each car. While
other car dealerships try to appeal to consumers by buying their business (negotiating prices), a
Scion consumer is buying a car they actually want. People who purchase Scions are most likely
young, innovative, and trendy. A Scion is affordable, fuel efficient, as well as eco-friendly. It is safe
to say that a competitor of Scion would also have low priced, affordable cars that target young
adults as well. Nissan cars are a very likely competitor for Scion; they already have a good following
of consumers in the urban market. Scion tries to counter this by pursuing people in the urban mar-
ket through hosting non-traditional promotional activities and events. Scion also has an advantage
in pursuing these potential consumers by being a part of the Toyota communities.
There are only three different models of Scions out at this time: tC, xD, and xB. Each model has its
own unique set of features and its own personality. Naturally, there are three different types of
competitors for each model of Scion. The exclusivity and self customization of each model allows
each model to be special. The Mazda3 is a notable competitor of the Scion tC. Both are sports cars
and target a younger demographic. The Mazda3 differentiates itself by marketing its speed in the
Zoom Zoom campaign. The Hyundai Tiburon also has a very loyal fan base that is a competitor of
the Scion tC. All three cars target the same audience and are relatively affordable compared to all
the other cars in the market. The Scion xB is noted as one of the greenest, most economical vehicles
available. The Jeep Wrangler is also known to be very eco-friendly and it is a big competitor of Scion
xB in that respect. The Scion xD has a hatchback body style that is well-liked, largely due to its fuel
efficient, practical, and versatile design. Hatchbacks can be used like miniature SUVs, and are usu-
ally designed based on a small sedan. Hatchbacks are an affordable, efficient alternative to SUVs.
Scion xD, along with Subaru Impreza, Toyota Matrix, and the Mini Cooper are all cars with these fea-
tures of affordability and practicality in mind. Many competitors of the Scion xD resemble the
hatchback body style of a car and are relatively inexpensive.
Marketing Environment Evaluation:
In the past year, the marketing environment associated with the automotive industry has experi-
enced several threats that have left the industry on an unstable foundation. The increase in oil
6

7. prices in conjunction with shifts in cost of raw materials and economic instability have led to pricing
pressures.
The state of the economy is most responsible for the necessity of Scion and its competitors to adhere
to consumers demands by taking part in this pseudo-price-war. The state of recession that has led to
the failure of once prestigious investment banks and the downfall of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae,
has consumers concerned about their investments and assets. Because automobiles are considered
to be major purchases to most, and it is commonly understood that they depreciate in value as soon
as they leave the lot, and many consumers do not feel that this is an appropriate time to commit to
purchasing a Scion, or any automobile for that matter. High gas prices have made buying a car less
appealing, and while Scion attempts to combat this market issue with its fuel-efficiency, it's competi-
tors are following suit. Intuitively, a weak economy with high gas prices results in a lower demand for
vehicles, and as demand goes down and supply goes up, the cost of vehicles must decrease, leading
to less overall profit for Scion and all automotive companies.
Another factor in the market is the rise in importance of the earth and environment. Hybrids are a
market trend that for the most part adheres to the needs of environmentally astute consumers, and
as of now, Scion fails to take advantage of this opportunity. Likewise, more extreme technological
opportunities to make a more environmentally acceptable automobile such as the possibility of the
electric car, is a possible trend that Scion should begin to prepare for to stay competitive amongst en-
vironmentalists in the coming years.
Partially for economic reasons and in some situations for environmental concerns, the public trans-
portation sector has had increased success and is becoming much more competitive. It is cheaper
and better for the environment to commute via public or mass transportation, and the only approach
that Scion has to compete with this fact is that its reasonable price makes it accessible to many more
consumers in their target demographic.
What all of this means for Scion as a brand is that they will have to continue to be one of the most
reasonably priced automobiles in the market, otherwise the consumers that actually are prepared to
purchase vehicles will not be able to afford Scion despite any constraints posed by the econ-
omy. They have to continue to have a strong promotional campaign because there are less consum-
ers prepared to purchase a car in the marketplace, so when consumers are ready, Scion has to be the
first thing that comes to their mind. While Scion needs to cut costs where possible in order to keep
7

8. sales costs low, they should also put available resources into developing a more environmentally ac-
ceptable product, to take advantage of that market trend.
Scion is a brand focused primarily on bringing in audiences aged 18-24, and therefore caters to the un-
derground music and artist scene. For example, according to Automative News, "Instead of traditional
advertising, Scion prefers underground events, such as the exhibits it has sponsored in New York and
Los Angeles for up-and-coming artists. Artists were paid about $10,000 apiece to create paintings that
have to do with squares and cubes. The art never mentions Scion." They also launched their own hip
hop record label to promote aspiring hip-hop artists. Rather than only focusing on using traditional
media, they promote their brand through word-of-mouth by sponsoring night club events and owner
rallies. They showcase these events on their website, hoping to foster passionate ownership and
strengthen brand image.
In an effort to follow the social networking trend popular among their target audience, Scion decided
to create a Do-It-Yourself website in which users and owners can create their own crests by adding
symbols, colors, and elements to their unique "crest." The website, ScionSpeak.com is an innovative
way to cultivate buzz on the internet and contribute to the viral marketing of Scion. (New York Times,
Do-It-Yourself Logos for Proud Scion Owners). This is just one of the ways this youth brand is trying to
stand out amongst the clutter.
Marketing / Public Relations / Promotional Approach:
A major contributor to Scion’s success is its ability to market in a manner that allows it to stand out
amongst its competitors to its Generation Y target audience. Scion promotes on the foundation of
trendiness and attitude. The brand itself is marketed, not only the individual cars.
Scion sponsors car shows, concerts, contests, and some festivals that are combinations of all three. It
reaches its target audience with events such as the Scion Rally (nationwide video game contest), online
sweepstakes, and DJ sessions held at local clubs. It also is used in product placement, including “On
the D.L.” a film in the Tribeca Film Festival. Utilizing product placement in independent films, in con-
trast to more mainstream media, is consistent with its trendy appeal. In essence, Scion has abandoned
traditional marketing approaches and has invested resources in focus groups and more resources at
night clubs in attempt to attract young people. “Toyota has held parties, featuring musicians and fash-
8

9. ion folks, and has been stationed at art galleries, independent film openings and "rave" parties in Cali-
fornia. At each venue, Scion representatives are throwing around the word "Scion," trying to build a
slow but steady rapport with the kids.”
Several aspects of the marketing campaign encourage the consumers to visit the website. Once there,
consumers can customize their own model, listen to hip tracks, and download Scion desktop back-
grounds. The key to Scion’s promotional strategy is to get Scion in the minds of the target audience,
and impress them enough to tell their friends.
9

10. SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS
• Scion is known for being trendy, hip, and appealing to Gen Y consumers.
• The parent company of Scion is Toyota, a brand that is respected and known by many.
(Although currently, Scion does not associate with Toyota within its marketing.)
• Scion has original features and customization options such as iPod capability that helps ap-
peal to its youthful target market.
• In addition Scion vehicles can be equipped with 40 different post-production accessories in-
cluding: subwoofers, decals, and optional supercharger (which can allow a Scion to go to 160
– 200 horsepower).
• The ability to personalize the vehicle separates it from competitors that have minimal cus-
tomization options. Personalizing can make the vehicle seem more appealing and possibly
special to consumers.
• Price is arguably inexpensive, compared to other vehicles. Scion xD starts at $15,320, xB
$16,420, and tC $17, 670.
• According to online reviews, Scion is perceived to be well-made. Part of this perception is
derived from the fact that Scions are produced in factories that utilize technology that has
evolved from the Toyota brand.
• Scion is recognized to have economically sound gas mileage ranging from 22-27 city/ 30-33
highway, miles per gallon.
• Scion utilizes an innovative integrated marketing communications approach which includes:
• Guerilla marketing (using posters and ads in movie theaters and TV to direct consumers to
website)
• Buzz Marketing, public relations efforts, some commercials, contests, festivals, Scion Rally-
video game contest
10

11. WEAKNESSES
• Does not utilize Toyota in its marketing efforts, so the perception to many is that there is
no developed brand backing up Scion.
• The marketing is directed at a specific part of the market, separating itself from any con-
sumers who do not fit into the young or trendy market.
• Scion ordered a recall of moon roofs because there were circumstances in which debris
would come into contact with the moon roof and it then it would break—potentially
harming both the driver and any passengers.
• Interior is very revealing: shows every pebble, cat hair, etc
• Web site issues including pop-ups and issues in terms of compatibility with Safari.
• The models have names that consist of two letters, which is perceived by some to be
damaging to brand recognition.
• Some consumers do not find Scion vehicles to be aesthetically appealing, primarily xB and
xD models which are recognized by their “boxy” design.
OPPORTUNITIES
• Because eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrids are seeing more popularity than in the past,
and in a way are hip in their own right, Scion could potentially produce a “green” car and
target it to the same target market who can appreciate the trendiness, and also to envi-
ronmentally-conscious drivers who Scion has not catered to in the past.
• American vehicle manufacturers such as Ford and GMC are crumbling in the midst of the
financial crisis and asking for a government bailout to save the jobs of thousands of these
employees. This has led to a negative perception of these American companies. As a
part of Toyota, Scion is a foreign vehicle company, and Scion can take advantage of the
failing American vehicle brands by more vigorously promoting themselves.
• If Scion can aggressively market themselves globally to build brand awareness and ideally
form a positive attitude.
11

12. • It is apparent that while the global economy is suffering, China is more resilient to the econ-
omy crisis, especially in comparison to the United States. It may be of benefit for Scion to in-
troduce their vehicles in China, or other countries whose economies are less wavering.
THREATS
• The recession that the United States is facing is prompting people to feel less comfortable
making what purchases that are traditionally considered to be “big” purchases. Because peo-
ple are forced to pay more for necessities, and have less to spend in general, it will be difficult
for Scion, (or any automaker) to be successful within the current market.
• Car sales fell to a 16-year low as would-be buyers were unable to get credit.
• Rise in alternative and mass methods of transportation. If more families are just buying one
car, or more people are carpooling or taking bus’ or subways, there are less people who need
or want to by any vehicle, including Scion automobiles.
• Attached to the bailout bill is a carbon tax that regulates consumption, and can be a potential
barrier to the success of the automobile industry.
• The fluctuation of fuel prices is a discouraging factor in people purchasing Scion or any vehi-
cles. While the cost of gas has currently dropped, many are weary that gas prices can and
most likely will rise again without warning.
When combining what Masiah has found to be Scion’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats, it is apparent that Scion should take advantage of the brand awareness and atti-
tude of their parent company Toyota, while at the same time emphasizing the uniqueness of
the Scion brand which includes customization and innovative marketing. Also, considering
the current economic environment, it may be beneficial to open up to a less specific target
audience, and stress reasons that demonstrate that Scion is an economical choice in automo-
bile, such as fuel efficiency and relatively reasonable cost. Also Scion can grow in this unsta-
ble economic environment by marketing globally, and stress the value of purchasing a foreign
automobile, as US automakers are crumbling.
12

13. Works Cited
"2008 Scion tC." MSN Autos. 10 Dec. 2008 <http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/
compare.aspx?year=2008&make=Scion&model=tC>.
"2008 Scion TC Comparison." Automotive. 2008. 10 Dec. 2008
<http://www.automotive.com/2008/12/scion/tc/compare/index.html>.
"Automotive Marketing Online: Negotiating the Pranks." e-Marketer June 2008
(June 2008): 1-19. 12 Dec. 2008 <http://www.google.com>.
Cina, Mark. "Toyota Uses Unique Marketing Strategy For Scion." Popular
Mechanics. July 2002. 9 Oct. 2008
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/1270196.html>.
"New 2008 Scion XD." US News. US News. 26 Aug. 2008. 10 Dec. 2008
<http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/2008-Scion-xD/>.
Olenick, Michael. "My Toyota Scion: A Blue Car." Weblog post. The Technology
Blues: Blue Ocean Strategy for Technology Businesses. 12 Feb. 2008. 12 Dec.
2008 <http://www.valueinnovation.net/2008/02/
my-toyota-scion-blue-car.html>.
Palmeri, Christopher, Ben Elgin, and Kathleen Kerwin. "Toyota's Scion: Dude,
Here's Your Car ." BuisnessWeek 9 June 2003. 9 Oct. 2008
<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_23/b3836050.htm>.
"Scion Buyer's Guide." The Auto Channel. 2008. 10 Dec. 2008
<http://scionbuyersguide.theautochannel.com/compare_select.php>.
Scionlife. "Jeri Yoshizu, Scion Sales & Promotion, Interview."
ScionLife. 9 Oct. 2008. 9 Oct. 2008 <http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/06/
scion_marketing.html>.
Travers, Jim. "Scion - Marketing outside the box." consumerreports.org. 9 Oct.
2008. 9 Oct. 2008 <http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/06/
scion_marketing.html>.
Vasilash, Gary S. "Extroverted & Specialized: Scion's Strategy." Automotive Design and Production.
10 Dec. 2008 <http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/010503.html>.
13

14. Phase II
Secondary Research
14

15. Executive Summary
As a subsidiary of the Toyota brand name, Scion holds a unique position as a young and innovative brand
backed by a company that enjoys decades of quality assurance and reliability. The Scion brand is trendy
and hip; the core target audience is composed of young consumers aged 18-24 who value non-
conformity and unconventional values. These consumers seek to uniquely express themselves, a trait
that is catered to by Scion’s abundance of customizable features. These features include an iPod charger,
neon light accents, LCD screens, and satellite radio, among others.
Masiah’s creative brief illustrates how we want Scion’s target market to perceive the brand, with a focus
on innovation, style and individuality. Scion should market itself as a stylish and reliable but fresh face in
the automobile industry. Many other car companies who try to offer these same features cannot com-
pare because they stray too far from Scion’s affordable bottom-line pricing. One of the most significant
aspects of Scion marketing strategies is the fact that Scion downplays their association with Toyota in
order to target a younger, more hip and stylish target market. In doing so, they sacrifice the positive
goodwill that could result from being connected with a solid and reputable company like Toyota.
To assess the target market and its views on Scion, Masiah conducted online surveys and in-depth inter-
views. Through primary research Masiah tested consumer intention to purchase a Scion based on gen-
der, the effect of age on consumer awareness, and how brand attitude was affected by the prior knowl-
edge of a connection with Toyota. Overall we discovered that gender did not have a significant impact
on purchase intention- it was not statistically significant enough to support our research question. On the
subject of age, the participants over 30 years old were more aware of Scion than those who were
younger. This is interesting because the Scion brand is targeted towards younger consumers, yet they are
not any more aware than older ones. Finally, Masiah discovered that brand attitude was significantly cor-
related with knowledge of a Toyota-Scion relationship. People who liked Toyota had opinions of Scion
that were consequently elevated. Although Scion is marketed strategically, they could benefit from fo-
cusing on reliability more in their advertising. Also, they should include the Toyota name in their ads, and
move to more traditional media formats instead of all guerrilla and underground marketing.
15

16. Research Objectives
• Find out what people currently think about Scion
• Find out what characteristics of a car attract consumers
• Find out how people relate scion to other car brands
Research Questions
How does gender have a significant influence on the intent to purchase a Scion?
How does the consumer’s age affect brand awareness of Scion cars?
Hypothesis
If consumers knew that Toyota owns Scion, their brand attitude towards Scion would be more fa-
vorable than the brand attitude of consumers who did not know.
Research Methods
Masiah has chosen to utilize a series of in-depth interviews and an online questionnaire as
methods to obtain insight that can be valuable to the Scion brand. We find that in-depth interview is
the best method to obtain qualitative data because it allows us to select a dependable sample. Be-
cause we seek to gather information about awareness and perception of Scion, in-depth interviews
allow us to get the most out of open-ended questions because there is no group pressure to sway
participants. It also allows Masiah as the interviewers to have more time and flexibility in a one-on-
one setting. It also gives us the opportunity to get detailed information and draw conclusions about
the brand relationships of consumers with non-Scion brands, in order to draw conclusions on how
Scion can be improved.
We want to use an online questionnaire (through Survey Monkey) because it is a quick
method of obtaining thorough and quantifiable information. The use of an online survey is appropri-
ate because through our secondary research Masiah has learned that Scion’s target market is mostly
young and trendy drivers, and this demographic is likely to be comfortable with the internet and fa-
miliar with online surveys. This will also help us to avoid a significant sampling error.
16

17. Research Sample
Because our research questions include variables such as age and gender, Masiah feels it is
imperative to collect data from a sample that includes both females and males, as well as respondents
who are over and under the age of thirty. While sheer logistics will lead to much of our online survey
respondents being college students, we will send the survey to many non-college students and people
over thirty to get a sample that could provide insight into our research questions. We will recruit ap-
proximately 120 respondents to have a manageable sample that will allows us to draw succinct conclu-
sions. This sample will be notified about the survey through online networking sites such as Facebook,
as well as electronic mailing lists that include a sample that we hope will lead to insightful results. Be-
cause in-depth interviews are not about generalizability or standardization but instead detailed and
useful consumer insights, we will take advantage of our ability to choose a nonrandom sample, and
interview a diverse group of twelve participants. Six of these participants will be females and six will
be males, and likewise, six will be over thirty and six will be under thirty. This method allows us to ob-
tain valuable information that addresses our research questions regarding the relationship between
age and gender with Scion.
Data Collection and Organization
We will collect our in-depth interview data, by following a well-designed discussion guide that
will gear our discussion about brand relationships with cars, and slowly move it into perception and
awareness of Scion. This will give us the opportunity to stay on track, while at the same time have the
freedom to ask questions based on their responses to previous questions. Also, the discussion sheet
will lead to responses that will provide insight about what consumers from different demographics
look for in a car, and what they currently feel about Scion. This information can be used to improve
the Scion brand. After the interviews are conducted, we will sort the answers out by question, then
break down the different responses by category. We will discover differences and connections be-
tween variables and draw conclusions based on these responses. For the online questionnaires will
utilize Survey Monkey to create our online survey. While survey Monkey organizes our data, we will
manually enter it into SPSS software to find connections in related variables, analyze the data, and
draw conclusions.
17

18. Survey Analysis
DEMOGRAPHICS
Because of the minimal budget provided we decided to conduct an online survey to a convenience
sample of 119 University of Texas students and some slightly older individuals in order to get a better
insight for answering our research questions and hypothesis. Since Scion focuses its marketing on the
Generation Y consumer, it is appropriate that our data accurately reflects a college population with
less emphasis on other age ranges [see Graph below].
As seen in the above bar graph, the majority of the individuals, approximately 80% fell between the
ages of 18-25. Our data is skewed to the right primarily because we used a convenience sample. How-
ever we also managed to collect data of individuals within older age ranges simply because we
wanted to gain insight into not only Generation Y consumers, but older generations as well.
18

19. The above table gives more insight into the distribution of age groups and their frequencies. Again, it
is clear from this table that we had many individuals aged 18-25 with exactly 95 subjects which we
assume to be college students and the Generation Y consumer.
We managed to collect a relatively even amount of data from both male and female subjects as
shown in the bar graph above. This even representation of male and female individuals would ensure
that the possibility of sample error would be minimized.
19

20. How does gender have a significant influence on the intent to purchase a Scion?
GENDER N MEAN STD. DEVIATION STD. ERROR MEAN
How likely or
unlikely is it that Male 61 2.300 1.188 0.152
you w ould
purchase a Scion
Female 58 2.640 1.307 0.172
vehicle?
Independent Samples Test
t-test for Equality of Means
t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference
How likely or Equal variances
-1.499 117 0.137 -0.343
unlikely is it assumed
that you w ould
purchase a Equal variances
-1.495 114.562 0.138 -0.343
Scion vehicle? not assumed
Based on our survey analysis, there was no significance between gender and the intent to purchase a
Scion vehicle. As shown in the above tables, the significance level is .215, which means the data that
was collected for questions “How likely are unlikely is it that you would purchase a Scion vehicle,” and
“Please indicate your gender” in the survey were not statistically significant. The mean purchase in-
tention for females was 2.640 compared to the mean for males which was 2.300. As such, Masiah
would like to propose that Scion focus on both male and female consumers when developing their
strategy campaign.
20

21. Crosstabulation of Purchase Intention
How likely or unlikely is that you w ould purchase a Scion vehicle?
Unlikely 2 3 4 Likely Total
FEMALE 17 8 16 13 4 58
MALE 19 19 12 8 3 61
TOTAL 36 27 28 21 7 119
As seen from the cross tabulation above, the distribution amongst males and females shows that pur-
chase intention based on gender follows a very general, slight trend. The data is relatively evenly dis-
tributed, but slightly more females lean towards the “likely to purchase” side whereas slightly more
males lead towards the “unlikely” category when compared to one another. However, this data is not
statistically significant; therefore Scion should concentrate on a appealing equally to both genders in
their marketing strategies.
21

22. How does the consumer’s age affect brand awareness of Scion cars?
A g e F requenc y
5.00%
4.20%
10.90%
18-25
26-35
36-45
46-100
79.80%
As mentioned in the demographics section of this analysis, the above graph indicates frequency for
consumer age who took part in the study. The majority of respondents were in our 18-24 year old
target market, with significantly lower numbers in the other age categories.
ANOVA
Please indicate how you feel about the Scion brand:
Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
Betw een Groups 0.155 3 0.052 0.051 0.985
Within Groups 116.484 115 1.013
Total 116.639 118
The above data indicates that age and brand awareness are NOT related. The significance level is .985.
22

23. It is important to understand how age affects brand awareness of Scion cars. Scion prides itself in cre-
ating a brand that is solely for Generation Y consumers, and it is interesting to see how aware other
age groups are. Although the data is not statistically significant, it shows some important data.
Although not significantly significant, this graph shows that individuals in the 18-25 range were the
most aware of the Scion brand out of any age group. This indicates that Scion is effectively using its
advertising to target these Generation Y consumers. However, since many older consumers are un-
aware of the brand, Scion should emphasize marketing strategies that make this segment more aware
of the brand.
23

24. If consumers knew that Toyota owns Scion, their brand attitude towards Scion would
be more favorable than the brand attitude of consumers who did not know.
HYPOTHESIS TABLES 1
One Sample Statistics
N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Please indicate how
you feel about the 119 3.17 0.994 0.091
Scion brand
Please indicate how
you feel about the 119 3.47 0.999 0.092
Scion brand
One Sample Test
Test Value = 0
95% Confidence Interval
t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference of the Difference
Low er Upper
Please indicate how
you feel about the 34.761 118 0.00 3.168 2.99 3.35
Scion brand
Please indicate how
you feel about the 37.916 118 0.00 3.471 3.29 3.65
Scion brand
First we analyzed the data using a T-Test and concluded that the data is statistically significant with a
significance level of .000. We designed the survey so that the same question of “Please indicate how
you feel about the Scion brand” is located both at the beginning and the end of the survey so that they
had time to read the article. Based on the data, many individuals’ opinion of Scion brand increased sig-
nificantly from 3.17 to 3.47, which means they felt more favorable towards Scion after completing the
survey.
24

25. HYPOTHESIS TABLES 2
One Sample Statistics
N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
How likely or unlikely
is it that you w ould
119 2.46 1.254 0.115
purchase a Scion
vehicle?
If Scion used the
Toyota brand nam e in
its m arketing w ould 119 3.33 1.128 0.103
you be m ore likely to
purchase a Scion?
One Sample Test
Test Value = 0
95% Confidence Interval
t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference of the Difference
Low er Upper
How likely or unlikely
is it that you w ould
21.418 118 0.00 2.462 2.23 2.69
purchase a Scion
vehicle?
If Scion used the
Toyota brand nam e in
its m arketing w ould 32.174 118 0.00 3.328 3.12 3.53
you be m ore likely to
purchase a Scion?
In order to thoroughly analyze all aspects of our hypothesis, we decided to examine the purchase
intent if Scion used the Toyota brand name in its marketing as well. The results were also ex-
tremely significant, with a significance level of .000. The mean difference increased from 2.46 to
3.328 on a scale of 1 to 5, which means consumers are more likely to buy a Scion using Toyota’s
brand name in its marketing strategy.
25

26. This bar graph distributions shows that potential consumers are more likely to purchase Scion with
knowledge of its association with Toyota, and there is a left skew on the graph. Based on all the previous
data as well as this graph, Masiah decided that it would be beneficial for Scion to include the Toyota
brand name in its marketing in order to increase consumers’ brand attitude towards Scion.
26

27. HYPOTHESIS TABLES 3
Descriptive Statistics
Mean Std. Deviation N
Please indicate how
you feel about the 4.32 0.911 119
Toyota brand
Please indicate how
you feel about the 3.47 0.999 119
Scion brand
Correlations
Please indicate Please indicate
how you feel how you feel
about the Toyota about the Scion
brand brand
Pearson Correlation 1 0.29
Please indicate how
you feel about the Sig (2-tailed) 0.001
Toyota brand
N 119 119
Pearson Correlation 0.29 1
Please indicate how
you feel about the Sig (2-tailed) 0.001
Toyota brand
N 119 119
The above table indicates that there is a direct correlation between how consumers feel about Toyota in
relation to Scion. The data indicates that if consumers like Toyota, they also like Scion as well. The same
could not be said that if they like Scion they will like Toyota as well.
27

28. In-Depth Interview Analysis
Why Conduct In-Depth Interviews?
Masiah chose to conduct twelve in-depth interviews for the qualitative portion of the primary
research. This decision was made due to the fact that in-depth interviews provide detailed back-
ground information to the interviewer, produce a substantial volume of information, allow for lengthy
observation of non-verbal responses, and allow interviewers the opportunity to form new questions
based on each respondent’s previous answers. Furthermore, in-depth interviews contain open-
ended, non-directive questions that allow the respondent to answer truthfully and freely on any
topic.
Masiah wanted to conduct primary, qualitative research that provided more time to focus on
individual respondents, more flexibility in terms of the direction of the interview, and more accurate
responses on topics and issues. It was important for Masiah to conduct interviews where no group
pressure existed so that the respondent was not influenced by other subjects when answering the
interviewer’s questions. That way, there was no potential for influencing a change of opinions or con-
tamination by the other respondents. It was also important to Masiah that each respondent would
have equal interview time so that in-depth probing of each respondent and their ideas would be pos-
sible. For these reasons, Masiah felt that the most appropriate form of qualitative research and
analysis would be to conduct in-depth interviews.
What Was the Method of Research?
1. Define the Research Questions & Hypothesis
The method used by Masiah for conducting the in-depth interviews was to first define the research
problem. This was characterized by the two research questions and overall research hypothesis de-
termined by Masiah. They are as follows:
28

29. Does gender have a significant influence on the intent to purchase a Scion?
How does the consumer’s age affect brand awareness of Scion cars?
If consumers knew that Toyota owns Scion, their brand attitude towards Scion would be more
favorable than the brand attitude of consumers who did not know.
2. Select a Sample
The next step of Masiah’s method of conducting in-depth interviews was to define a narrow
audience and then purposively select a sample. This was done by selecting an equal number of
male and female individuals for study, as well as ensuring that of these individuals, there was an
equal number of respondents over thirty years of age as there were respondents under thirty
years of age. Masiah was also careful to select a non-random sample that was somewhat ethni-
cally diverse, so as to create a representative sample and to minimize sample bias. With this
sample selection process, Masiah was able to conduct in-depth interviews that were not af-
fected by the gender, age, or ethnicity of the respondents.
3. Prepare Interview Material
In Masiah’s method of conducting qualitative research, the step that followed the selection of a
sample was the preparation of the in-depth interview material. It was necessary for Masiah to
plan the in-depth interviews in detail so that each interview would be conducted in exactly the
same manner. It was important to have all of the interviews be conducted the same way be-
cause doing so would produce reliable research results. Therefore, Masiah produced a pre-
planned script of discussion questions for each of the interviewers to follow during the in-depth
interviews. However, alteration of the script was encouraged so that each researcher could
create new questions based on the respondent’s previous answers and be able to provide more
thorough answers to the questions.
29

30. 4. Conduct the In-Depth Interviews
The final step was to conduct the in-depth interviews. Masiah wanted to create an environ-
ment for the interviews that was comfortable and relaxed and conducive to natural conversa-
tion. This was done by conducting the interviews in familiar, lounge environments such as
living rooms and coffee shops. Refreshments were also provided by the interviewer to the
respondents so that they were happy and eager to participate, which in turn, propagated
natural and honest responses from the subjects.
What Insights Were Discovered?
Based on the results of the twelve in-depth interviews that were conducted, Masiah has collected
valuable information about brand insights and insights about consumer sentiments toward Scion and
their parent company Toyota. With the results of the in-depth interviews, Masiah has also made con-
clusions about the relationship between gender and intent to purchase Scion, as well as the relation-
ship between age and brand awareness. The following is a summary of the key findings of the in-
depth interviews and the outcome of the qualitative research conducted by Masiah.
Insights About Research Question #1
The first research question that Masiah identified was to determine whether gender has a significant
influence on the intent to purchase Scion. During the interviews, all of the participants were asked
whether they thought that the Scion brand seemed to be more suited for men or women. Some of
the in-depth interview participants even commented on how they felt Scion’s advertising efforts were
addressing gender and which gender was targeted more, concluding that men were more targeted.
In general, the results of the interviews revealed that the participants were somewhat conflicted on
which gender Scion actually appealed to more.
Of the six female participants, half of them thought that the Scion brand appealed more towards
women, two of them felt that it appealed more towards men, and one participant felt that it was
30

31. equally appealing to both genders. Of the six male participants, more than half of the participants (four
participants) thought that the Scion brand appealed more towards men, one of them felt that it ap-
pealed more towards women, and one of them felt that it was equally appealing to both genders. The
majority of the women interviewed said that they thought that Scion was more appealing to women,
whereas the majority of the men interviewed said that they thought that Scion was more appealing to
men. Out of all the participants, male and female, the overall group sentiment was that the Scion
brand and its products are more appealing to men than women, and that the brand is more masculine
than feminine. Therefore, the results of the in-depth interviews indicate that in terms of the first re-
search question, the participants believe that a male would be more inclined to purchase a Scion than a
woman, and that ultimately, gender does have an influence on the intent to purchase a Scion.
Insights About Research Question #2
The second research question that Masiah identified was to determine whether the consumer’s age
affects brand awareness of Scion cars. During the interviews, all of the participants were shown an im-
age of a Scion car and then asked whether they knew the brand name of the car. If the participant was
able to identify the brand name of the car, it was assumed that that participant was aware of the brand.
After that, the results of the interviews were compared to the age of the participants. As part of our
research design, we interviewed six individuals over the age of 30 and six individuals under the age of
30, so as to keep the results unbiased. The in-depth interview participant sample was selected non-
randomly, which may be an issue that accounts for any researcher bias or any possible error. In gen-
eral, the results of the interviews revealed that the participants over 30 years of age were more aware
of the Scion brand than the participants under the age of 30.
Of the participants that were over the age of 30, five out of the six participants were aware of the Scion
brand. Of the participants that were under the age of 30, four out of the six participants were aware of
the Scion brand. Overall, the majority of the participants were aware of the Scion brand, yet when
comparing the two age groups, the participants over 30 years old were more aware of the brand than
the participants under 30 years old. Therefore, the results of the in-depth interviews indicate that in
terms of the second research question, the consumer’s age appears to have an affect on the brand
awareness of Scion cars.
31

32. Insights About the Research Hypothesis
The overall research hypothesis that Masiah determined was that if consumers knew that Toyota was
the parent company of Scion, their brand attitude towards Scion would be more favorable than the
brand attitude of consumers who did not know. This was examined during the in-depth interviews by
first asking the interview participants what they thought of the Toyota brand. The participants were
then asked what they thought of the Scion brand. After that, the interview participants were asked
whether they knew the name of the company that owns Scion. If the participant was unable to identify
the parent company of Scion, or incorrectly named the parent company of Scion, they were then told
that the parent company of Scion was in fact Toyota. After knowing this, the participants were again
asked about their perception of the Scion brand, so as to determine whether it changed after knowing
that Scion is owned by Toyota.
If the participant correctly named the parent company of Scion, their brand attitude went unchanged
after they were told that Toyota owns Scion. If the participant incorrectly named the parent company
of Scion, their brand attitude was either unchanged, made worse, or made better after being told that
Toyota owns Scion, depending on their perception of the Toyota brand. In general, the results of the in-
depth interviews indicated that the majority of the participants knew that Scion was owned by Toyota.
The results also indicated that, more importantly, the consumers with a negative brand attitude to-
wards Scion before knowing it was owned by Toyota had a positive brand attitude change of heart after
finding out that Scion is owned by Toyota.
From the results of the in-depth interviews, it is clear that most of the participants were aware of the
fact that the parent company of Scion is Toyota. Only three out of the twelve participants did not know
this fact. However, of the three participants that did not know that Scion is owned by Toyota, all of
them positively changed their opinion of the Scion brand after knowing that Toyota is its parent com-
pany. From the interviews, all of the participants had a positive attitude towards the Toyota brand.
Out of the twelve participants, nine of them were already aware of the fact that Toyota owns Scion.
Therefore, their brand attitudes went unchanged. Eight of the participants had a reinforced positive
brand attitude towards Scion, one of the participants was neutral, and none of these nine participants
32

33. had a negative attitude towards Scion. Out of these nine participants that were already aware of the fact
that Toyota owns Scion, nine had a positive attitude towards the brand and of these individuals, two of
them liked seeing the article and having the Toyota brand emphasized in Scion’s advertising. Therefore,
with the results of the in-depth interviews, Masiah has concluded that if consumers knew that Scion is
owned by Toyota, their brand attitude towards Scion would be more favorable than the brand attitude of
consumers who did not know.
What Conclusions Can Be Drawn?
With the insights that have been discovered, Masiah is now able to fully understand the target consum-
ers’ behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes towards the brand in comparison to its competition. As a re-
sult, Masiah has generated a central theme for the brand’s position and designed an effective marketing
communications campaign that effectively addresses these perceptions and attitudes to the benefit of
the Scion brand. The results of Masiah’s primary research, qualitative and quantitative, have therefore
answered the research questions outlined by Masiah in Phase I and have confirmed the hypothesis deter-
mined by Masiah as well. The final conclusions drawn from the in-depth interviews are that:
A. Gender has a significant influence on the intent to purchase a Scion.
B. The consumer’s age affects brand awareness of Scion cars.
C. If consumers knew that Toyota owns Scion, their brand attitude towards Scion
would be more favorable than the brand attitude of consumers who did not know.
With these conclusions about the research questions and the research hypothesis, Masiah can make in-
formed decisions and suggestions about the position of the Scion brand. The results of the in-depth in-
terviews have shown that many new connections can be made in terms of the Scion brand and its parent
company Toyota. New connections can also be made in terms of consumer gender and age targeting,
which can make a significant impact on the success of the Scion brand as well. With these new insights,
effective changes in marketing communications efforts can be made to enhance the Scion brand and its
overall consumer perception.
33

34. Discussion and Recommendations
After a thorough analysis of Masiah’s research findings in both our situational analysis and our primary
research, we have concluded that with the current state of the economy it is necessary for Scion to
transform its marketing efforts.
One of our most informative results expresses that within the age groups we evaluated, there is no sig-
nificant statistical difference regarding age and brand awareness, and even more revealing is that there
is no significant difference between age and brand preference. Scion currently markets to trendy
youth, and this is a target that they should continue to pursue through the guerilla marketing, and
other nontraditional methods; however, knowing that age does not significantly impact brand attitude,
it would be unreasonable to not open up the target market to an older generation, and use traditional
marketing efforts to reach them.
Additionally, Masiah discovered that there is no statistical significance regarding gender and purchase
intent. However, based on our qualitative data results, it is apparent through the sample that we inter-
viewed that the perception of many is that features and style of Scion models are geared towards men.
While in-depth interviews traditionally lack generalizability, the results do provide insight into existing
perceptions regarding Scion and action should be taken to dismiss these views. Thus, Masiah recom-
mends that Scion makes efforts to equal their marketing towards men and women. If they use a guer-
illa marketing approach and sponsor a video game contest, they can also sponsor a fashion show, or
other events or methods that usually appeal to women. If they use traditional advertising, they can de-
pict a man as well as a woman enjoying the gender neutral features that Scion possesses.
Through our quantitative research, Masiah has discovered that there is a strong connection between
Scion and their parent company Toyota’s brand name that is going untapped. When we evaluated
brand preference before and after revealing that Scion is owned by Toyota, more people had a favor-
able opinion of Scion after finding out about the connection. When we asked if our participants would
be more likely to purchase Scion if it used the Toyota brand name in its marketing, the data represents
that they would be more likely to purchase. Finally there was a clear and evident positive correlation
that expresses that people who like Toyota also like Scion. Also, almost all of our respondents already
knew the connection between Scion and Toyota, however, most of them were impressed by this fact
because they have a positive opinion of Toyota. Our recommendation is that Scion takes advantage of
this knowledge and emphasize that they are a part of Toyota and have equal reliability and other posi-
tive attitudes that consumers connect with Toyota.
34

35. Our current recommendations include:
1. Stressing reliability in marketing (because one of the main consumer insights evident in
our qualitative research is that reliability is the unifying product feature seen as important
to consumers).
2. Utilize more traditional advertising including television, radio, and print advertisements
as a method of reaching a greater (and older audience).
3. Make a stronger effort to equalize marketing efforts between men and women and stress
beneficial gender neutral features.
4. Scion should utilize positive attitudes that exist regarding Toyota, in order to improve
both brand awareness, perception, and purchase intent of Scion.
35

36. SCION Creative Brief
What are we advertising?
Scion Automobiles
Why are we advertising?
To encourage trial purchase and increase brand awareness among new users. Also to
streamline Scion’s image with their target audience.
Whom are we talking to?
Young men and women aged 18-24. They are Generation Y consumers who accept an
alternative urban lifestyle. They acknowledge non-conformity and hold unconventional
values that cater towards creative expression and individuality.
What do they currently think?
They are either unfamiliar or mildly familiar with the Scion brand. They are unsure of
the brand because of its relatively short time on the market, but they like that it is
different and fresh compared to other brands.
What do we want them to think?
We want consumers to perceive Scion as the hippest, most customizable auto brand
made for artistic, in-touch urban youths. Scion needs to be seen as unique, fresh, and
innovative.
What’s the SINGLE most important thing we can tell them?
Scion is innovative and unique, yet accessible.
Why should they believe it?
Scion is the most customizable automobile brand on the market with the ability to fit
the individual needs and desires of the target market. They have contemporary car
bodies and stylish interiors while maintaining an affordable bottom-line price.
Are there any creative guidelines?
The required tone should be edgy, bold, and hip. High energy and exciting. It should
incorporate artistic and musical elements as well in order to appeal to the interests of
the young target market.
36