creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties

Yesterday I was watching the Olympics when a Toyota commercial came on.  The commercial was not about another hybrid but about Toyota’s latest bout with their brake recall.  The recall has dealt a major blow to sales and to consumer confidence in the Toyota brand.  A commercial dedicated to “restoring”something was a strong indication to me that “geez something most really be wrong.”

With some 9 million recalled vehicles worldwide and counting, Toyota has undoubtedly had to publicly address this issue.  I don’t know all the ins and outs regarding the recall (there are plenty of articles out there right now that speculate what is happening) but there are 3 simple things I appreciate from Toyota’s commercial that I think organizations can learn from.

1.  Fess up and own your mistakes.
The commercial starts with the line:

“History has shown that a good company will fix its mistakes but a great company will learn from them…”

2.  Reassure consumers that you are fixing the problem.
Most would probably assume Toyota would fix the problem.  Toyota, however, chose to communicate that they are working on the problem.  By doing so, they help shape consumer perceptions by reassuring them that they are on it and resisting the temptation to try and hide the blunder.

3.  Wrap it all in humility.

Make no excuses and wrap your message in humility.

“We’re working to restore your faith in our company by providing you with safe and reliable vehicles…”

What were your thoughts when you saw this?