How We Made Toyota Hybrids a North East Success Story.

(A campaign case study from my time at Hodgson Toyota)

What happens when you take a brand-new Hybrid car, a well-known local breakfast show host, and a bit of Top Gear-style fun?

You get one of my favourite campaigns from my time at Hodgson Toyota — a campaign that didn’t just sell cars, but changed perceptions and gave the North East its own Hybrid story.

The Challenge

When I joined Hodgson Motor Group, Toyota had already spent 30 years perfecting Hybrid technology — but outside of London, drivers weren’t exactly queuing up to get one.

In the North East, Hybrids were seen as: ?? Something for taxi drivers in the capital ?? Expensive, over-complicated, and unnecessary

At the same time, Toyota was going all-in on Hybrid, phasing out diesel and many petrol-only models. My job was clear: ? Attract new customers (conquest) ? Convert existing Toyota owners into Hybrid-only models ? Tackle confusion and bad press around Hybrids.

The Strategy — Layered, Local, and Fun

This wasn’t going to be a one-off ad. It needed to be a multi-layered, always-on campaign that:

? Educated people who didn’t understand Hybrid technology

? Engaged early adopters who just needed a little nudge

? Convinced existing customers to make the switch.

Here’s how we did it:

Step 1: Break Down the Basics (Without Boring People)

We created animated explainer videos that showed exactly how Toyota’s Hybrid engines worked — no jargon, just plain English.

We pushed these through: ?? Email campaigns ?? Social media ?? Showroom screens

We also sent clear updates on government legislation changes, so customers knew Hybrid wasn’t just a gimmick — it was a smart investment for the future.

Step 2: Real People, Real Stories

Instead of just telling customers Hybrids were great, we let real owners do the talking. We filmed local Toyota Hybrid drivers sharing their experiences — honest, relatable, and authentic.

Watch The Video Here

Step 3: Bring in a Local Legend ???

This is where the magic happened.

We teamed up with Steve from Steve & Karen’s Breakfast Show — a proper North East legend.

Steve took a Toyota Hybrid for the weekend and we filmed his whole experience — before, during and after.

The best bit? Because Steve was genuinely invested (and up for a laugh), we started sparking new ideas together during filming — the kind of creative spark you only get when everyone’s having fun.

Watch Breakfast Radio Host Steve Furnell's Video Here

Step 4: Flip the Dealership Videos on Their Head

Traditional dealership walkaround videos are often dull — all specs, stats, and sales chat.

We gave ours a proper glow-up, taking inspiration from professional car reviews (think Top Gear meets Autotrader). We filmed cars in iconic North East locations, so people could literally picture themselves driving Hybrid around their own city.

Watch The Opposite Of A Boring Car Dealership Video Here

Step 5: Gamify the Test Drive ??

The cherry on top? We turned test drives into a competition.

Every Hybrid demonstrator was fitted with a telematics box, tracking:

?? Battery use

?? Fuel efficiency

?? Emissions saved

We created a fixed test drive route and displayed the results live on a leaderboard in the dealership waiting area — so customers waiting for servicing could see how they measured up.

?? The monthly winner got a ￡50 voucher — but more importantly, they got bragging rights.

Watch The Teaser Video Used Here

What Happened Next

This campaign evolved into an always-on strategy, feeding into Toyota’s national Hybrid campaigns — but with a hyper-local twist.

? More awareness (Hybrid made relevant to the North East)

? More test drives (thanks to the leaderboard)

? More conversions (thanks to education + advocacy + fun).

C-HR in Newcastle Video

The Takeaway

If you want people to care about your product, don’t just sell the spec sheet. Sell the story they want to be part of.

And if you can make that story local, fun, and a bit competitive — even better.

If anyone’s thinking about how to turn a global message into a local success story, let’s chat — I love getting my teeth into challenges like this.