Feb
21
2010
On a recent business trip I picked up the latest Car and Driver magazine to get my monthly car guy fix. I usually don’t read the editorials in any of these car mags because they tend to say the same tedious things.Typically that includes a memoir of driving the newest Lamborghini on the Autostrada, or [...]
Read the Full Post
Feb
17
2010
I am in New York this evening and was watching the Olympics at an Irish bar near my Midtown East hotel. On came a Toyota ad, which amazed me with its tagline:
Moving Forward
Now, I have seen that Toyota campaign tagline before. But, I never viewed it with the context that we all have now — [...]
Read the Full Post
Feb
17
2010
The news is out today that Toyota is undertaking a series of quality and safety measures to fix the systemic problems brought glaringly to light because of the company’s recent massive recall and resulting brand crisis.
As reported in Ad Age today, the steps include appointing regional quality officers, relying on an onboard "black box" to [...]
Read the Full Post
Feb
10
2010
Toyota has just started running its first TV ad in the wake of its disastrous recall, unintended acceleration problem and growing brand and reputation crisis. The ad is fine, if a bit bland.
As I have been saying for the past two weeks, Toyota needs to ratchet up its emotional quotient in everything it does relative [...]
Read the Full Post
Feb
05
2010
Could it get any worse for Toyota? (The short answer is, yes, but more on that later.) Yesterday it was reported that the US government authorities are now investigating whether or not the Toyota jewel in the crown, the Prius hybrid, might have to be recalled for faulty brakes.
As they say, when it rains it’s [...]
Read the Full Post