Gladstone International

Case Studies

Results
After a long legal battle, Suzuki was gratified when the U.S. Supreme Court declined, in 2003, to hear CU’s First Amendment case against Suzuki. The carmaker settled the lawsuit in 2004. We were successful in convincing highly skeptical automotive, business and consumer editors and reporters that Suzuki’s claims had merit. Ongoing media analysis proved that negative references to the Samurai no longer appeared in coverage of new Suzuki vehicles. Our efforts contributed to the vital transformation of Suzuki’s image, helping the company to meet its goal of achieving a two percent share of the U.S. automotive market.

Restoring Suzuki’s Reputation After Negative Consumer Reports Magazine Cover Story

Challenge
When the respected consumer advocacy publication Consumer Reports gave the Suzuki Samurai an unacceptable rating in 1988 for allegedly rolling over easily, the cover story and subsequent negative publicity killed the vehicle’s sales. This was devastating to American Suzuki Motor Corp. as it was the first vehicle the company introduced to the U.S. market. More than six years later, the trade and consumer media continued to refer to Suzuki as the company that introduced the ill-fated, dangerous Samurai, thus damaging perceptions of all new Suzuki vehicles.

Solution
Suzuki decided to fight back in 1995 and contacted Gladstone International. We developed a strategic plan aimed at presenting Suzuki’s evidence that Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, rigged the Samurai test drive and thereby forced the vehicle to tip. We planned a press conference in 1996 to announce to the international media that Suzuki had filed a product disparagement lawsuit against Consumers Union (CU).

CU waged an intense media campaign, claiming First Amendment protection of its methods and articles. We conducted an equally if not more aggressive media campaign to provide compelling information about the merits of Suzuki’s claims. A highlight was when Suzuki’s general counsel appeared on CBS-TV’s “60 Minutes” to challenge CU.