The Toyota brand is in serious danger. With more vehicles being added to their already-massive recall list almost daily, the Japanese automaker’s carefully crafted reputation is quickly degrading. One explanation for their seemingly relaxed crisis management may be cultural differences, as Weber Shandwick Japan CEO Akihiko Kubo pointed out in an interview for PRWeek:
Kubo said that the traditional Japanese corporate preference for either working with ad agencies, or handling matters in-house, has had devastating consequences.
‘This does not come out in a normal situation but in an emergency like this, it’s the client who has to pay the bill for an easygoing attitude,’ said Kubo. ‘Also, Japanese corporations tend to manage PR in-house. This is another factor why they have a limited objective perspective, resulting in a slow reactive attitude.’
Businesses that operate worldwide must be aware that every region expects business and communication to be handled in a different manner. By ignoring these differences, Toyota has dug themselves a deep hole.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/