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The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Strategic decision · 2023

Toyota Belgium won self-employed buyers on cost, not tax deduction

When Belgium's 100% car deduction ended, Toyota reframed the debate to 4-year cost and sold 3,023 cars, a record B2B share.

Toyota Belgium

the move

In July 2023 a Belgian tax change gave self-employed professionals a last window to buy a company car before end-June with 100% tax deduction, and every brand rushed to exploit it.

Toyota was only 11th in the B2B market, so BBDO Belgium didn't compete on the deduction that everyone was selling. It moved the argument from tax deductibility to Total Cost of Ownership, showing a hybrid saved the buyer more money over four years than an EV.

The calculations felt complex, so the campaign made the topic light and used a recognisable figure to talk about numbers: the buyer's own accountant.

why it works

  • Reframing to TCO moves from a regulatory perk to a durable financial argument.
  • It plays to Toyota's hybrid strength rather than chasing the EV/PHEV conversation.
  • A familiar human figure (the accountant) makes a hard comparison feel approachable.
  • It targets the underserved self-employed segment instead of fighting the whole market.
the payoffChange the metric from tax relief to total cost of ownershipclever

what transfers

In a one-shot regulatory window, don't fight on the incentive everyone is quoting; pick a more honest metric and make it human.

what came after

Toyota sold 3,023 cars in June 2023, up 123% versus June 2022, and its B2B market share rose 33% to a record 12.1%. The campaign was credited with helping self-employed professionals save around €15 million in a single month and won a Bronze Effie in Belgium, proving a fiscal change could be turned into a positioning advantage.

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