Shock of Recognition

Creating Demand for a House of Brands Through Thoughtful, Data-Led Strategy

In a softening auto market marked by rising interest rates and hesitant buyers, Southeast Toyota (SET), who operates as a house of brands with distinct vehicle lines and diverse audiences, needed more than a media plan. They needed a mindset shift. So we created the “Shock of Recognition” campaign, a demand-generation strategy designed to grow conversion by reaching consumers before they were technically in-market. We unlocked a new audience segment, “Near Market” buyers, by identifying life-stage triggers like career changes or starting a family. These subtle early indicators of purchase intent became the foundation for a digitally-led omnichannel approach that moved far beyond intent-heavy Google buys.

Our strategy focused on emotionally resonant storytelling, delivered through scalable digital creative across CTV, OLV, paid social, influencers, programmatic and a custom lifestyle hub on SET’s website. These assets reinforced consistent life-centric messaging across the full Toyota lineup while allowing room for distinct brand voices and audience nuance. All creative was designed to be modular and adaptable, built for consistency and scale.

Our model-led, audience-first approach spanned across six core vehicles. We targeted specific audience segments and built unique channel plans to focus on the most resonant vehicle attributes for each audience.  For Grand Highlander, we created space, both literal and figurative, for "overstretched parents" using immersive mobile interstitials, pause ads, AR, and podcasts that aligned with how this group creates room for themselves. For RAV4, we focused on millennial “Suburban Adventurers” who value shareable experiences over possessions, deploying interactive TikTok units, custom Spotify playlists, and localized travel content through Thrillist. Each execution demonstrated how media, message, and moment worked in lockstep.

Throughout the campaign, our integrated data-reporting system provided real-time visibility across channels and models. This enabled agile media optimization and ensured we could track performance consistently at the campaign, vehicle and regional levels. Year-over-year results told a clear story: 111 million engagements, 2.1 million clicks (up 65 percent), 540,000 leads (up 52 percent) and media-exposed sales up 4 percent. Most importantly, Toyota sales climbed 14 percent across the Southeast, keeping SET the number-one-selling region in the country.

The “Shock of Recognition” campaign did more than generate brand relevance, it filled the pipeline for today and built preference for tomorrow. It also reflects how 22squared and our sister agency, Trade School, deliver performance marketing at scale for multi-brand organizations navigating complex audiences and market dynamics.

SOUTHEAST TOYOTA