Stable Brand Optimization in Reston in the Face of a PR Disaster

When Mark Rosekind became the new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), he was faced with a dire situation. Following a series of safety recalls, most notably the Takata airbags, he had to restore public trust in the NHTSA. Specifically he had to answer the question: Why did it take so long for NHTSA issue a recall for the defective airbags? Congress expects NHTSA to assume “a commensurate level of responsiveness and accountability.” Given Rosekind’s extensive expertise in human fatigue and other driver safety related issues, many of the senators believe he is the right person to lead the agency at the right time.

Though NHTSA was the federal agency most closely identified with this PR disaster, the impact on them paled the impact on Takata, the Japanese airbag manufacturer. This was a classic reputation management challenge. To start with, the Takata airbag recall affected millions of vehicles worldwide. The consequences for the Japanese airbag maker
http://novatp.com/stable-brand-optimization-reston-face-pr-disaster/