We’ve discussed the various ways Toyota’s crisis response was lacking, but the company’s poor crisis management practices before the recalls began were also a major contributor to the level of damage done. This quote from a post on the Experience Matters blog explains what went wrong:
Toyota spent a lot of money on ads in newspapers (yes, they still exist) and on television. They had very few Twitter followers. They have no blog that I know of (and certainly not one I heard about developed after the story broke).
No customer communication channels. No tools for dialogue. No presence in a community where fans could defend them.
It’s too late to create a community after a crisis hits. Putting in work to open up communication between your organization and its stakeholders does wonders for reducing negativity during bad situations.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/