Joint Firestone/Ketchum Statement
Monday, September
11. 2000 -- Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. (BFS) today announced
that Ketchum, the world-wide public relations consultancy, has
been selected to become its public relations agency, effective
immediately.
Acknowledging the controversy that has
surrounded BFS in recent weeks, Masatoshi Ono, CEO of BFS said,
“We know that we have been slow in responding to public
concerns, that we underestimated the intensity of the situation,
and that we have been too focused on internal details. As a
result, there is a high-degree of concern about our motives
and behavior. We are determined to change all that.”
Mr. Ono cited the recent announcement
that BFS would be hiring an outside expert to consult with them
in determining the root cause of the tire failures that have
contributed to these tragic accidents, but he also went on to
add that this might not be enough. “We will actively seek
to develop an open, transparent review process so that people
can have confidence that the process was honest.”
David Drobis, Chairman of Ketchum, expressed
confidence in the direction the company was taking. “We
met with their top management, and after many hours of very
direct, frank and honest discussions, we are convinced that
this company knows how great a challenge lies ahead and is willing
to both act in the best interests of its customers and do so
in a way that they can regain the public’s confidence.”
Mr. Ono said, “As we testified in
the recent Congressional hearings, we know that it is our challenge
and our responsibility to rebuild confidence in the company
and in our commitment to safety. We know that we will be judged
not by our words but by our actions, and we are determined to
regain public confidence through our actions. We know we must
be open, honest and responsive both when there is good news
and bad.”
