Saatchi LA and the agency world as a whole can breathe a sigh of relief, the vitriol can cease (for a minute at least) and yours truly can spend some time removing the taste of shoe from my mouth. Like Dubya and those WMDs, the early reports about Toyota Motor Corp’s marketing maneuvers were misleading, a fact only compounded by a confusing press release, a total lack of feedback from the Saatchi camp and an arduous wait for the automaker’s reply (we had to go all the way to Japan for the answer — Toyo USA’s PR team was as useful as tits on a bull). Well, thankfully Paul Nolasco (who is in Japan, right now), TMC’s Corporate Communications Assistant Manager, finally reached out to us with a statement that clarifies his company’s move and should hopefully put this issue to bed.
It reads:
…I agree that the press release in question could (and should) have been written better, and I regret any confusion this may have caused your publication and others concerned.
Through the press release, TMC announced it will set up two new marketing companies.
One company will be on par with the current three marketing companies that TMC uses for marketing in Japan. Therefore, TMC will have four (outside) companies doing its marketing in Japan.
The other company will have two functions. One is (to a limited extent) coordinating the efforts of the four Japan-market marketing companies.The second is providing information on successful marketing practices in Japan to TMC’s overseas subsidiaries. Although not explained sufficiently or expressed appropriately in the press release, the providing of information on successful marketing practices in Japan to TMC’s overseas subsidiaries represents the bulk of what was meant by “carry out and assist global marketing”.
None of this was intended to suggest that marketing would be brought in-house.
Also, this announcement has virtually no direct connection or effect on TMC’s U.S. or other advertising agency relationships.
If it is of any consolation, TMC has admitted to Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (for one) that the way TMC wrote the press release was inappropriate.
I hope this clarifies the situation.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Paul
at TMC
So there you have it. Everyone screwed up, especially us for not taking the time to double check the rotary girder.