Toyota, Chrysler Top Motor Press Guild Annual Automotive Public Relations Survey

LOS ANGELES - September 27, 2007: The Motor Press Guild (MPG), America's largest professional automotive media association, announced yesterday that Toyota and Chrysler ranked as having the best overall performance in media relations, according to the organization's third annual Automotive Public Relations Survey. The survey, conducted by the Gronstedt Group of Denver, Colo., measures the media's satisfaction of seven criteria of the 20 major automobile manufacturers identified as being crucial to the success of their public relations programs. Journalists are asked to rate each manufacturer's press materials, Web site, ease and frequency of contact, level of a PR staff's knowledge, product launch programs and more.

According to the survey respondents, Toyota, which had ranked third in the 2006 study, surpassed Chrysler to take the top spot. Chrysler was second, followed closely by General Motors, Honda and Hyundai in a three-way tie for third. The journalists gave "most improved" marks to Porsche and Honda.

"Our intent is to provide auto manufacturers with usable information from a respected national pool of journalists," said MPG's Survey Manager John Rettie. "The 2007 survey had a record 342 journalists from 36 states participate, thereby giving the automakers a truly nationwide perspective of informed opinions."

Out of the 20 manufacturers evaluated in the survey, Toyota edged past Chrysler, which had ranked at the top for two straight years, by leading the industry in six of the seven measured criteria. Meanwhile, General Motors, which had ranked near the bottom in the survey's first year (2005), continued an upward trajectory, showing a four percent improvement in media satisfaction to rank third in overall public relations effectiveness this year.

"Since this was the third year MPG has sponsored the survey, it is possible to provide manufacturers with firm trends in their public relations activities," said Anders Gronstedt, president of the Gronstedt Group. "Data clearly shows what areas need improvement and how to maintain performance in those criteria where rankings are superior."

In all, nine of the 20 companies showed improvement in their performance as judged by the survey participants. Porsche (up 22 percent) and Honda (up nine percent) showed the most improvement over the previous year.

Of significance, the survey indicates two areas where all automakers face challenges.

"Disappointingly, three out of four car companies saw the ratings of their online media rooms decline from 2006," said Rettie. "And sadly, the perception is that the PR teams among most manufacturers lack the product knowledge required to meet the needs of the media."

MPG conducts this survey annually to give manufacturers continuous benchmarks on the performance of their media programs.

"The bottom-line goal is to help auto manufacturers provide the best service possible to journalists, so that, in turn, journalists can give the public the information it needs and wants," said Rettie.

The third annual Automotive Public Relations Survey is available for purchase by all automobile manufacturers. For more information on the survey, contact John Rettie at john@johnrettie.com, or Chuck Koch at ememandeye@gmail.com.