The Toyota recall situation seems to be getting worse. In addition to skyrocketing complaints, there are now new investigations into long-standing acceleration problems.
I don’t envy the job their corporate communications team has ahead of them to restore public trust. In an effort to mitigate some of the backlash against the brand, Toyota is running some goodwill TV spots, like this one:
But they missed a HUGE opportunity to engage disenfranchised owners through social media. While I commend them for creating a special page on their site for recall news, I think they missed the boat on a number of accounts.
First, they could have created a microsite, or at least a unique URL, so folks could go right to the recall information, rather than promoting the corporate URL. Now, there is a giant graphic on the Toyota homepage directing users to the recall page. But once there, there are no links to Twitter or Facebook, both of which could effectively be used as major customer service hubs for concerned Toyota owners. The YouTube videos relating to the recall–there are several–are nice and all, but really just corporate fluff.
People are over corporate fluff. They want to engage with a brand, especially when their safety is a concern, or a high-ticket item is in question. Not to mention the call center time/money that could be saved by answering questions via social sites. Toyota missed a big opportunity to engage and shine in social media despite a major crisis.
Howdy, I’m a long-time lurker and also have been too shy to submit a comment.