Why are Chrysler and General Motors struggling to stay afloat while Toyota, which has not been immune to the economic downturn, survives? In case you’re unsure of why such a huge performance gap exists between U.S. auto manufacturers and their Japanese competition, check out these headlines from the Associated Press and Reuters today, which explain it very well.
Chrysler Rolls Out SUV After Government Scolding – Chrysler’s big reveal at the International Auto Show was a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Not what the government wants the company to be spending time and bailout money on.
Chrysler President – 30 Days Enough for Fiat Deal – Is Chrysler’s rushed attempt to partner with Fiat to provide smaller cars to U.S. consumers a case of too little, too late?
Three Bidders Left in Hummer Auction – GM finally caught on last summer that they needed to unload the gas-guzzling, environment-hater Hummer brand. 10-months later, three bidders are interested, one has been turned down, and the clock is ticking on GM’s fate.
Toyota Banks on Tiny, Green but Pricier IQ Model – Toyota’s hot pick at the International Auto Show was the super small, 56-miler per gallon Toyota IQ. In the words of Toyota Senior Managing Director Yoichiro Ichimaru (from the AP article), “Only cars that contribute to economic growth and the betterment of society can hope to succeed.”
Is it any wonder Chrysler and GM have fallen so far behind? The disparity is mind boggling, and they still don’t seem to get it.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc. and Founder & Editor in Chief of an award-winning blog, WomenOnBusiness.com. She is a 25-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored 10 books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.
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What can I say? The articles speak for themselves. I liked the comment from Ichimaru-san that indicates how price and quality are no longer the only factors taken into consideration by Toyota. I just can’t understand how the U.S. auto industry can continue to ignore the 30+ years of success by Japanese automakers.