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Reputations are a curious thing and in the brand conscious World corporate brands even more so. The league tables of brand values are always fascinating.
Of course the brands can be destroyed and brands can be built. Everyone must remember how Gerald Ratner destroyed his jewellery chain with a flippant comment. Skoda has now eradicated all the jokes by the new owners playing on the historic reputation but delivering reliability and value.
But what will be the result of Toyota’s reputation being in tatters after recall after recall of ever more models. And recalling on such basic safety issues as brakes, accelerator and power steering.
Now the Japanese are a proud arrogant nation for whom reputation is everything. Where does Toyota go from here? Will the Japanese have the ability to turn adversity into good karma? Only time will tell but logic would say the Company is too big. But that didn’t stop some major brands being subsumed after failing – HBOS for one.
Some car companies have ploughed through the brick bats and the jibes but normally the problems have been rusting bodywork, breaking down or price of parts. Here we are dealing with basic safety. You want the accelerator to respond; you want the brakes to work and the steering to steer! This is now also affecting 3 models and their most popular ones at that.
What will happen? Who knows, but I’m guessing the new slogan will be “the car that just ploughed into you is a Toyota”!
19 Feb 2010 09:02:25