Typically companies in Toyota’s position, clam up.  Statements are defensive and evasive.  Maintaining such a posture during the long life of a litigation will leave a company’s reputation in badly compromise.

Yet public opinion studies have shown that companies that publicly speak to their problems — that defend themselves but also that acknowledge faults and both pledge and work to fix them — build the trust of potential jurors, not to mention customers and suppliers.

Toyota is right to put corporate reputation first, and is likely to do better in court as a result.

We don’t wait until the week before the trial or the oral arguments to brief key reporters.  We go to them months before and walk them through the issues in the case.  We get them fully up to speed — early.

Then we keep in touch.

This way, when the action heats up, they will already know our side of the story and our chances of favorable or at least balanced coverage go way, way up.

Even reporters inclined to dislike our corporate clients appreciate being treated with professional respect and, in most cases, respond accordingly.