Everyone is talking about the hype and PR surrounding Toyota's massive recall over the last few weeks. In Newsweek Magazine this past week, an article written by Matthew Philips, talks about something different about this recall than any major recalls in recent years.
What we find ourselves seeing is PR created through blogs, video's and message boards by everyday people that is reaching millions through popular social sites, such as facebook, twitter and google. Never before has a company had to deal with bad PR so widespread.
According to the article, Toyota needs to buy keywords such as "Toyota Sucks" and "Toyota Fails" that are being used in abundance. This really comes down to the influence of media over public perception. The way media presents events dramatically effects the popular opinion of current events and now people can break into this even more through social media sites.
In my opinion I beleive people should read and base their arguments on credible sources, such as magazines and newspapers known to have researched the topic. It is easy to be led astray if you believe what you read on facebook and even google. Toyota needs to be more voiceful in publishing their own statements about the current situation, to keep the public informed. The reason they are having such a negetive backlash regarding their customer service is because they did not let consumers know what was going on. By maintaining their own PR they will contain the spread of rumors and panic. The Toyota Recall: A Public-Relations Disaster? - Newsweek.com
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