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Aims & Goals

  • Enhance company-wide understanding to increase awareness

  • Effectively target our customer base with a compelling brand message.

  • Inform the public that KINTO offers a wide range of mobility services to support car life.

  • Showcase KINTO Japan's strength

  • Align internal and external brand Image and foster brand loyalty

  • Redefine KINTO Japan

  • Develop a comprehensive design system

  • Enhance the B2C experience and improve user experience

Challenges

  • KINTO is under Toyota Hierarchy, the brand needed to embody the essential essence of Toyota

  • The brand must align with Global KINTO's DNA and philosophy.

  • The redefinition should not stray too far from the original concept.

  • The focal  point is establishing the brand communication system in Japan, ensuring that KINTO Japan brand combines the corporate brand's serious side with marketing brand' soft side of the same personality.

Problems & Pains

​Based on the analysis, what we researched, and what we employees experienced, we were aware there were a lot of issues.

  • Lack of awareness and engagement from the public.

  • Misconception of KINTO's service.

  • Absence of a sense of belonging among users and employees

  • Insufficient brand loyalty 

  • Misalignment of KINTO's ideal image among employees.

  • Absence of a cohesive design system beyond brand colours.

  • Inconsistent designs across local and global platforms.

  • Website overload with excessive information and text, resulting in a poor brand impression and difficulties for customers to navigate.

KINTO

KINTO by Toyota provides a seamless, inclusive mobility experience, offering various transportation modes and payment options, from car-sharing to flexible car subscriptions. KINTO embodies Toyota's commitment to delivering Ever Better Mobility for All.

Background

Mobility services differ across countries based on their car culture, with KINTO Japan leading as the headquarters, offering the most innovative and diverse mobility services among 40 countries. KINTO Japan aims to distinguish herself in the local market whilst maintaining alignment with the global KINTO brand. The rebranding project was initiated at KINTO Japan.

Role

Brand Design | Creative Thinking

Duration

1 year ~ ongoing project

All-in-one Subscription Services

KINTO Adventure Hub MaaS Services

Upgrade After Services 

Used Car Services

MaaS Mobile App

Vintage Car Rental Services

Branding Process
Redefine KINTO Japan's position

To redefine KINTO Japan's position, we need to clarify its relationship with both Global KINTO and Toyota. We create a clear diagram to show how each entity fits together, ensuring there's no confusion, no dual personalities or conflicting identities.

Assess Current Brand Perception

We conducted workshops and invited representatives from different teams to align on the common understanding of KINTO Japan's identity.
 

We also constructed Personas for both KINTO's personality and users to capture the diverse goals and needs of users.
 

Then we analyzed testimonials and marketing analytics to understand how KINTO is perceived by employees and customers. This informed a redefinition of KINTO's industry position, emphasising strengths, uniqueness, and weaknesses.

Refine Vision & Mission

We clarified core values, set aims, and established goals while identifying challenges.

Establish Brand Archetype

We categorised keywords from earlier stages to define brand personality traits, considering both TOYOTA and Global KINTO DNA for balance in shaping KINTO Japan's communication personality. After analysing a lot the statistic, we finally confirmed that KINTO JP embodies a blend of Explorer, EveryPerson, and Sage from TOYOTA.

Develop Creative Concept

Translate the vision, mission, and brand personality into a cohesive creative concept. This theme encapsulates all aspects and is ready for internal and external sharing with company and customers.

Mobility + Story

Let's Go Together.

At times a companion, at times a guide.

Transcending the mundane relationship with your vehicle,

we champion a spirited, liberated, and enlightened "Mobility+Story".

Establish the Design System

Meanwhile, the design team and front-end developers joined together to establish guidelines for KINTO Design System including specifications for English and Japanese typography, font size, grid system, components and more. 

Develop Experience Map

Define Look, Feel, Talk, Do, Dream based on the creative concept. This serves as a handbook for the entire company, reigniting and aligning employees and providing a guideline for delivering our brand to customers.

Branding Activation & Engagement

Branding encompasses more than visual design; it's a comprehensive process. It requires time to permeate throughout all teams and allows for trial and error.

​

Branding is an ongoing journey.

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