Title | OPEN ROAD PROJECT |
Brand | TOYOTA |
Product / Service | TOYOTA I-ROAD |
Category | A02. Creative Innovation |
Entrant | DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN |
Idea Creation | DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN |
Media | DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN |
PR | DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Michitaka Iida | Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd. | System Producer |
Kazuhiro Shimura | DENTSU INC. | Creative Director |
Masayuki Umezawa | DENTSU INC. | Account Executive |
Wataru Shiotani | DENTSU INC. | Account Executive |
Kotaro Sasamoto | DENTSU INC. | Business Planner |
Tetsuji Nose | DENTSU INC. | Business Planner |
Yukiya Yamane | DENTSU INC. | Business Planner |
Yoji Sakamoto | DENTSU INC. | Communication Designer |
Minoru Kikuchi | DENTSU INC. | Strategic Planner |
Takahiro Hayashi | DENTSU INC. | Strategic Planner |
Rui Egashira | DENTSU INC. | Strategic Planner |
Kana Kobayashi | DENTSU INC. | Strategic Planner |
Ryuma Okuda | DENTSU INC. | Communication Planner |
Yusuke Imai | DENTSU INC. | Art Director |
Naoki Waraya | DENTSU INC. | Account Supervisor |
Wataru Inoue | DENTSU INC. | Account Supervisor |
Tetsuya Sakurai | DENTSU INC. | Account Supervisor |
Hideyuki Hirai | DENTSU INC. | Account Supervisor |
Yuki Serizawa | DENTSU INC. | Account Supervisor |
Junichiro Kubota | DENTSU INC. | Business Supervisor |
Shun Watanabe | DENTSU INC. | Account Executive |
Takahide Neki | DENTSU INC. | Account Executive |
Kohei Nagoya | DENTSU INC. | Communication Planner |
Tomoyuki Kato | DENTSU TEC INC. | Director |
Tatsuya Murayama | DENTSU TEC INC. | Producer |
Syuhei Sakamoto | DENTSU TEC INC. | Producer |
Chisako Hasegawa | DENTSU TEC INC. | Producer |
Tatsuo Yamano | DENTSU TEC INC. | Producer |
Kenichiro Dohi | DENTSU TEC INC. | Business Planner |
Atsushi Nishikawa | Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd. | System Producer |
Tomoko Suzuki | Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd. | System Producer |
i-ROAD’s targets are people living in central Tokyo who faced a parking problem, so we had to offer the possibility for free parking—different from cars. Our idea: to develop a new parking service for the i-ROAD, using the city’s wasted space. We turned our attention to Tokyo’s small unused spots to build a parking network where landowners shared spaces and locals drove and parked to find spaces. We recruited interested test pilots from the web who enjoyed daily mobility as the i-ROAD collected driving and location data. This data became the foundation of a system that autonomously discovered parking, increasing parking spots and making the project a success. We hope this service will show more urban areas the advantages of driving the i-ROAD and parking in small spots. This new business model has the potential to improve society, and we're working hard to increase the i-ROAD's value.
We set up a logger to collect running data and GPS locations, which sent positioning information on the i-ROAD. Then, we combined the parking conditions with the positioning data and time to make a system that collects drivers’ parking statuses. Next, we recruited test pilots from the website and loaned them the i-ROAD and the service access prototype. Simply, from their everyday movements, we collected a massive amount of data. The result: We discovered new small spaces to be used as parking. The drivers enjoyed driving the i-ROAD, and, since parking places were increasing in number, they helped discover new spots. We had developed a system where parking places autonomously increased with the drivers’ motivation. It also offered merit for landowners to earn extra income with their unused land. Currently, we’re testing and considering this service for the i-ROAD launch.
Initially, i-ROAD drivers’ monthly distances averaged 58km, but after offering the parking service, distances increased tenfold to 596km. The combination of the service and i-ROAD delivered freedom. User experiences helped us confirm the business potential of the i-ROAD and its new parking service. Moreover, 90% of its drivers expressed intent to buy if the vehicle offering included the parking service. During the project, drivers discovered over 1,500 small spaces. Their driving data not only contributed to the expansion of the parking service but it also to the development of the i-ROAD. Around Tokyo, the project became a hot media topic between Tokyo residents. The i-ROAD YouTube video reached 6.0 million views from people in urban areas all over the world who empathize with parking problems. Furthermore, the autonomous system carries social significance as well, as local laws have allowed tandem riding in certain areas.
This project was to build a brand through making a new business model of the ultra-compact EV, i-ROAD. We had created a new kind of parking service which we transformed a lot of wasted small spaces into the i-ROAD parking. Also, we involved the target user in the project to help discover new parking and develop the parking service, making new fans for the i-ROAD by solving parking problems. As idea professionals, we stepped away from the advertising mindset to develop a new service for our client’s product. We’ve increased the product value and set a course for successful offerings.