Quote Of The Day: Or Else… Edition
There is widespread public concern regarding reports of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyota motor vehicles. There appears to be growing public confusion regarding which vehicles may be affected and how people should respond. In short, the public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it. To help clarify this situation, I am inviting you to testify…
House Oversight Committee Chair Edolphus Towns invites Akio Toyoda down to DC for an evening of under-oath testimony and light refreshments. According to the NY Times, Toyoda has said he “would consider” dancing the Potomac two-step “if he receives a formal invitation, which none of the committees have issued.” Consider yourself officially invited, Mr Toyoda. We’ll start making the popcorn.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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The myth that Toyotas are better than any other jap car is history. I've owned about 8 Hondas, 4 Nissans & my mother & kids own Toyota/Lexus vehicles. I've done most of the maintenance on all these vehicles and the 1999 Maxima has been the most trouble-free of them all. A few years ago we sold a 1993 Sentra with 140K that was still tighter than any of the Accords I've ever sold. The water pump bearing on my mother's 01 Camry failed before the car had 90K. Toyota quality doesn't impress me one bit, recent Honda/Acura styling sucks, so I'm now a loyal Nissan/Infiniti owner.
Toyoda has lied and tried to cover up, power steering issues on Camry (probably related to the other vehicles on the same frame) and Corolla, brake control issues on a good majority of what it makes, pedal design itself issues, along with the b.s shim in the brake by wire control issues. On top of Prius regen brake issues (that the Fusion hybrids are also having) This is on top of the frame issues with the Taco, and the other b.s issues with the Tundra. Now and before... I see a Toyota as a moldy vehicle that you buy that you truly don't want to drive. Ya don't get involved in its maintenance or even changing its wipers. However.. I am surprised that Toyoda, a company that DID master how to do PR has somehow completely screwed up basic company reputation.
Initial PR works best when the image doesn't stray too far from the reality. (Authentic Launch) Mid-term PR works best when the image is enhanced by demonstrated virtues. (Virtuous Cycle) Long-term PR works best when the reality is not allowed to stray from the image. (Remembering Roots and Respecting Built-up Customer Expectations.) PR and crisis-management have elements in common, but are far from the same thing. Crisis-management turns on credibility, which turns on pro-active, authentic, honest, humble and contrite, behaviours. When people generally expect (before cutting the offender some slack, or before the bystanders lose interest, or before the fan-boys begin to question their long-held loyalties) is the right mixture of the above-listed behaviours. Folks easily feel a snow-job in their bones when a PR-type tries to sing and dance his way through a crisis, or the corporate OGC-types force word-parsing actions. Firing-up the PR-bandwagon before the basics are covered, risks backlash, increased scrutiny, retributive and/or punitive actions (which some people mistakenly characterize as "media frenzy".)
And just to show HOW TRULY bad it is.. Toyota has hired the same EMERGENCY PR / lawyers that helped Ford with Firestone issues, and the Exxon Valdex... This is a firm that you pull in at the last minute, when its all on the line.. I cant believe.. that crisis mgt is something Toyoda would have to learn.