Toyota Australia, Gemba and the Tamworth Regional Council have worked collectively to bring to life one of the world’s biggest and best country music festivals. The 2020 Tamworth Country Music Festival marks Toyota’s 28th year of sponsoring the festival and Gemba’s 3rd year managing it. Over 10 days, the festival attracts 300,000 people, with over 700 performers across 2,800 events.
This year, Toyota’s famous hat fundraiser continued with success. Four times a day promotional staff were ready and waiting for the endless line of country music fans eager to get their hands on the iconic Toyota branded Cowboy hats for a $2 donation. This year, over $34,000 was raised for Rural Aid to help provide a range of services for those in the bush going through hardship.
In 2019, Toyota launched the Toyota Hybrid Cavalcade, an Australia-wide series of inspiring and educational events, showcasing Hybrid technology, performance, and economy to regional communities. The activation focuses on dispelling common myths about Hybrid vehicles while providing information on the critical role sustainable vehicles play in shaping regional Australia’s transportation needs.
This year, the Hybrid Cavalcade was featured within the highly renowned Toyota Zone. Festival goers could escape the heat, learn about environmentally friendly technology and enjoy some interactive and fun activities.
To top it off, Toyota Country Music Ambassadors Blake O’Connor, the McClymont’s and the legend himself, Lee Kernaghan, signed hats and mingled with country music fans at the Toyota Zone throughout the festival.
This year also brought about the ‘Verandah Sessions’, a social and PR activity led by Toyota’s social and PR agency Red Havas and supported by Gemba. The four sessions touched on Toyota’s ongoing support for future generations of Australian country music through the Star Maker and Golden Guitar Awards, the tireless efforts and stories of the Tamworth Buskers, and highlighted the challenges faced in regional Australia with Rural Aid.
Research over the years, conducted by Gemba Insights has indicated that Toyota’s on the ground activity has contributed to a significant increase in the sponsorship awareness and positive brand sentiment amongst attendees. The Toyota Country Music Festival in Tamworth 2020 is a great example of an effective and collaborative sponsorship which Gemba is proud to have helped facilitate and deliver.