Toyota Motor Sales is using mobile to help drivers looking to buy a car do the necessary research before actually purchasing a vehicle.

The mLot feature of the Toyota Shopping Tool application lets users scan vehicle identification numbers for new cars and pull information directly onto their mobile device. This makes it easier for vehicle shoppers to request a quote and keep specific car details on their devices.

?We have a two-pronged strategy with the new application,? said Michael K. Nelson, interactive communications marketing manager at Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., Torrance, CA. ?Our application strategy is meant to complement our smartphone-optimized touch site.

?The big challenge is how to compare vehicles on such a small screen,? he said. ?We had to re-imagine the compare function in order to work with the size of screen.

?From there, we took assets we already had and repurposed them so all we had to do was build the app.?

Toyota Motor Sales is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. 

MLot
The VIN feature gives users the option to save the vehicle as a favorite, share favorites with friends via Facebook or email, review key features, append photos and notes, request a quote and compare their favorites to see how they measure up against each other.

Most importantly, mLot offers consumers the ability to shop for a Toyota vehicle anywhere at any time.

The application, along with the new mLot feature, is meant to be an extension of the sales associate.

The feature provides one data source and allows for a common language between dealers and consumers.

The application also has the ability to go beyond the dealership and can be utilized by product specialists at auto shows.

?It is a mandate for all car manufacturers to have a cross-channel mobile presence to reach all possible customers,? Mr. Nelson said. ?85-90 percent of our mobile traffic comes from consumers with smartphones. But we also accommodate the other percentage of our customers with a simplified site for Web-enabled, non-touch phones.

?Most importantly we want to provide the dealerships with a tool,? he said. ?The application is now the common-language bridge between a sales person and customer. Our product specialists can also utilize this tool as a common-language solution when speaking to customers at auto shows.

?The Internet did that, but mobile really did become that bridge.?

Seamless shopping
By design, Toyota's mobile properties exist to provide a seamless shopping experience for the consumer on their mobile devices.

Toyota has a mobile Web site and now this application to allow consumers to research vehicles, find dealers and request quotes.

To date, Toyota claims it is the only automotive manufacturer with content available on three mobile platforms. This broad offering, coupled with Toyota?s comprehensive mobile strategy, allows consumers more choice in their experience.

?We used the unique features of the iPhone to make the application experience unique,? Mr. Nelson said. ?For example, we used the accelerometer on a vehicle landing page so that when consumers tilt their phone, they see pictures associated with the vehicle.

?This is the 21st century brochure,? he said. ?You are able to see the detail of the interior fabric that a printed brochure can?t replicate.?

The Shopping Tool application offers consumers some of the same functionalities as Toyota.com on their mobile devices and gives users access to the full Toyota model lineup of 16 cars, trucks hybrids, SUVs and minivans in all colors and at all trim levels.

Additionally, users can access competitor comparison data from R.L. Polk & Co., a provider of global automotive information and marketing services.

?We noticed that consumers were using the Internet to build a car and then bringing the print out to the dealership,? Mr. Nelson said. ?Now consumers can access Toyota while out and use mLot to save vehicle information to their mobile device. This information can then be sent to family and friends via Facebook and email or used to contact a dealer and request a quote.

?We incorporated Facebook and Twitter right into the application to let consumers share information with one another,? he said. ?We are embracing social media and letting application users share information via email as well.?