> Since Tesla no longer has a media relations department, The Drive was unable to reach out to the automaker for comment.
This makes them look really unprofessional, despite how cool Elon thinks it is.
This makes them look really unprofessional, despite how cool Elon thinks it is.
Tesla has some bad PR, the press can't get anything out of Tesla so the story is dead out the door, and Telsa's PR team comes up with some stupid stunt to get social media trending on the stunt...problem solved. "Oh, you see that thing about Tesla?" is about their cars blinking their headlights to Christmas music, and not, say, the feds ramping up their investigation into Teslas slamming into roadside emergency vehicles.
Standard corporate "disaster management" is essentially "hide everyone, don't say a fucking word, wait to get out of the news cycle."
Usually, they throw in a lightweight apology. Saying something like: "we deeply regret the experience this particular customer had." Before they go to "no comment".
I guess Elon innovated by simply saving "apology" part :)
Why pay for a PR department when people still think you have one even without one?
0.02 - I don't think it's great that Tesla got rid of their media relations department, but I also don't think that they have people cracking the whip on holiday update deadlines so they can cover up NHTSA investigations or whatever. You don't get cool on social media by forcing it. Now, the Cyberwhistle is a different story...
(disclosure: Tesla owner, no stock held)
So basically tesla had two ways, try to buy more of this media, or don't feed the troll. I think it's smart to just ignore corruption.