HANG MEDIA PARTNERSHIP WITH TOYOTA TARGETS NICHE SEGMENTS, GENERATES WIDE AUDIENCE

Virtual Watch Parties Aimed at HBCU Alums and Indian Expats Draw 1.5M Viewers For Football and Cricket, Out-Delivering Television Viewing While Driving Deep Engagement, Celebrity-Brand Association, Product Integration and First-Party Data

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota and HANG, the leading direct-to-consumer fan platform, are deploying innovative media approaches this sports season that are driving audience levels higher than television, with deeper data insights and engagement. To introduce its first-ever Grand Highlander SUV to targeted Black and Indian expat consumers, Toyota and its agencies, Burrell and InterTrend, have leveraged HANG's unique second-screen experiences to power deep engagement across more than 1 million views during the Toyota HBCU NY Classic football game in September, and October's India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup match. They will be teaming up again for the Cricket World Cup Finals on November 19.

HANG virtual activations enable fans across the country and around the world to watch televised games alongside current players, all-time greats, and celebrities, mingling on camera, via text or on livestreams across YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch. Fans stay on platform an astounding average of one hour and twenty minutes, asking questions, hearing inside stories, and getting pro tips.

For the HBCU NY Classic, Howard University graduate and Emmy nominee Anthony Anderson joined the watch party with Morehouse alums Isaac Keys, the actor and former NFL star, and Edwin Moses, the renowned track and field champion, from a Toyota suite at the game, while HBCU legends including NFL Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams beamed in from their homes. The India-Pakistan match featured Indian cricketer Unmukt Chand, who stars in a new Grand Highlander television spot aimed at the Asian-Indian consumer, along with fellow cricketers and Indian entertainers.

"Toyota and HANG are a natural fit," said William Moore, VP/Media Director with Burrell Communications Group. "HANG watch parties create a comfortable space for the whole family to enjoy an amazing experience – just like the first-ever Grand Highlander does. We're thrilled to have hosted an HBCU 'family reunion' for committed alums and students across the country, and to be making millions of Indian expats feel right at home during the Cricket World Cup."

"The entire media industry is desperate to engage audiences directly, and HANG has been ahead of the pack in understanding the power of eliminating the middleman," said Jon Klein, HANG's co-founder and CEO and the former president of CNN. "As humans, we all yearn to connect face to face. So we've been delighted to partner with Toyota to help spread the love."

About Toyota

Toyota has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next‐generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America, who have contributed to the design, engineering and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit https://pressroom.toyota.com/.

About HANG

Hang Media, winner of the 2023 Cynopsis Sports Award for best production innovation, is the leading celebrity‐fan community, with nearly one million views of each virtual watch party around majors ports events including pro and college football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Since HANG's founding in September 2021, nearly 20 million sports fans have come face to face with their idols ‐ star athletes, performers, and influencers – while everyone watches the game on their own. It's a dream come true for sports lovers, who get to have fun and frank conversations with their heroes about life on and off the field, play trivia contests, and sample products delivered by top sponsors including Coca‐Cola, Wells Fargo, MolsonCoors, Dave & Busters, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Pernod Ricard, and others.

Join the fun at https://letshang.live 

Media Contact:

LeslieAnne Wade

[email protected]

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SOURCE Hang Media