Losing the firefight and the war
Critics and consumers roast Ford over its inaction as Kugas combust, writes David Furlonger
In the court of public opinion, perception is king. Motor company Ford’s reputation and brand image have taken a pounding in SA after the engines of dozens of Kuga sports utility vehicles caught fire. In an earlier, unrelated incident, a driver burned to death in his Kuga. Ford and local forensic investigators are arguing over the cause of that blaze; the only thing they agree on is that it did not start in the engine. Tens of millions of cars are recalled around the world annually for safety issues, many of them fire-related. Recalls, as one US industry executive put it, have become "the new normal". Most, though, do not unleash the storm of vitriol that has been directed at Ford and its Pretoria-based South African subsidiary. The problem has been Ford’s response — or lack of it. In the corporate crisis communications rulebook, the first thing you do, particularly when lives are at stake, is own up: tell the truth and tell it first. Show you are in control (even if you are not). B...
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