Toyota and Chrysler ranked as having the best overall performance in media relations, according to the US Motor Press Guild’s (MPG) third annual automotive public relations survey.
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The survey, conducted by the Gronstedt Group of Denver, measured the media’s satisfaction of seven criteria of the 20 major car manufacturers identified as being crucial to the success of their public relations programmes.
Journalists were asked to rate each manufacturer’s press materials, web site, ease and frequency of contact, level of a PR staff’s knowledge, product launch programmes and more.
According to the survey, Toyota, which had ranked third in the 2006 study, passed Chrysler to take the top spot. Chrysler was second, followed closely by General Motors, Honda and Hyundai in a three-way tie for third. The journalists gave ‘most improved’ marks to Porsche and Honda.
“Our intent is to provide auto manufacturers with usable information from a respected national pool of journalists,” said MPG’s California-based survey manager John Rettie. “The 2007 survey had a record 342 journalists from 36 states participate, thereby giving the automakers a truly nationwide perspective of informed opinions.”
Of the 20 manufacturers evaluated in the survey, Toyota edged past Chrysler, which had ranked at the top for two straight years, by leading the industry in six of the seven measured criteria.
Meanwhile, General Motors, which had ranked near the bottom in the survey’s first year (2005), continued an upward trajectory, showing a 4% improvement in media satisfaction to rank third in overall public relations effectiveness this year.
“Since this was the third year MPG has sponsored the survey, it is possible to provide manufacturers with firm trends in their public relations activities,” said Anders Gronstedt, president of the Gronstedt Group. “Data clearly shows what areas need improvement and how to maintain performance in those criteria where rankings are superior.”
In all, nine of the 20 companies showed improvement in their performance as judged by the survey participants. Porsche (up 22%) and Honda (up 9%) showed the most improvement over the previous year.
Of significance, the survey indicates two areas where all automakers face challenges.
“Disappointingly, three out of four car companies saw the ratings of their online media rooms decline from 2006,” said Rettie. “And sadly, the perception is that the PR teams among most manufacturers lack the product knowledge required to meet the needs of the media.”
MPG conducts this survey annually to give US manufacturers continuous benchmarks on the performance of their media programmes.
“The bottom-line goal is to help auto manufacturers provide the best service possible to journalists, so that, in turn, journalists can give the public the information it needs and wants,” added Rettie.
