Nissan VP of Comms -- missing in action?

[thankyouOB]

missing in action,
forgot about us,
or cant find an answer he likes.

anybody seen or heard from that communication professional from nissan?
the one who promised to keep us uptodate on doings as well as field and answer questions?

i heard he sent someone around with a message; that nissan put together a video presentation for us, but it sounded too much like spin, so they are doing it again.

i hope he comes back with a price for a new battery, installed.

 

[EdmondLeaf]

That is Jeff post on Sep 28

Hello from Paris where I've been this week attending the Paris Motor Show. It's one of the events that the industry considers a "top tier" show, it's attended by 5,000 or so members of the global media, which means that nearly all top executives of the motor companies -- and of course their PR people (me) -- find themselves there. Though I've been quiet, I've tried to keep pace with the conversation (grew from 20 pages to 42 tonight), and Chelsea Sexton has been sending me updates and reminding me to stay up to speed.

Last week I told you that Andy Palmer was going to answer questions from folks who posted questions to our Facebook page while at the show. (I also grabbed a few questions from some submitted through mynissanleaf.com.) But I am not going to load the video. I've struggled with this, but I think that the final result looks like PR spin. I've watched it several times, and I came to the conclusion that I'd rather be criticized for not putting it up than for putting up a spin piece. It's not Andy's fault, he did his part. But the way we shot it comes off wrong. And in the web world, this stuff lives forever.

I do have a countermeasure, however. Next week, Chelsea is meeting Andy and I've asked her if she would serve as your proxy to ask the questions. I'm going to ask for a simple shoot, just Chelsea and Andy talking. I hope that you will allow us a few additional days to do this the right way.

Jeff

 

[scottf200]

UserID: Hawk0630 can be used to find his post.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=231321#p231321" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hello from Paris where I've been this week attending the Paris Motor Show.
<snip> as we posted at the same time <snip>
Jeff

 

[Stoaty]

I wouldn't consider him "missing in action" at this point. The guy does have other job responsibilities. I think that frequent commenting would be every couple of weeks. If he doesn't have anything to say, or can't disclose something we would like to know, there isn't any point in him posting just so he can say he was here. Let's give it a couple of months and see what happens.

 

[thankyouOB]

a couple of months to get a battery price?

OK.

 

[Stoaty]

a couple of months to get a battery price?

OK.

Could be sooner if the Smyrna plant comes on line. I agree that is not something that should be proprietary, but Nissan isn't releasing the price for some reason.

 

[saintyohann]

I had a private message interaction with him on Saturday about how I was being treated with my malfunctioning Leaf.

I told him I wasn't going to go quietly into the night and that I was actively trying to get reporters to cover what they were doing to me in multiple markets. Now he isn't replying.

According to his profile he came to the forum this afternoon: Mon Oct 01, 2012 1:16 pm

 

[mdh]

I am rather impressed Jeff is posting (4 posts?)... i think he might be fairly new to Nissan and he has some history from GM in EVs.

 

[thankyouOB]

I had a private message interaction with him on Saturday about how I was being treated with my malfunctioning Leaf.

I told him I wasn't going to go quietly into the night and that I was actively trying to get reporters to cover what they were doing to me in multiple markets. Now he isn't replying.

According to his profile he came to the forum this afternoon: Mon Oct 01, 2012 1:16 pm

apparently, he lurks rather than posts. he could be thinking.

 

[TEG]

I guess Jeff was at GM for a while:

http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2011/_STORY/111213-02-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

...Nissan Motor Company Ltd. ... announced that Jeff Kuhlman has been appointed Divisional General Manager and Head of Global Communications...
...he held a number of key communications positions at General Motors, including heading up Communications for GM's North America Marketing Operations.

He seems to be stated as a Nissan ENGINEER in some places:

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/nissan-agrees-independent-leaf-battery-probe-52536.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

{Nissan} has now agreed to an independent global advisory board to investigate following numerous complaints.

Electric vehicle advocate and former GM marketing manager Chelsea Sexton will head the study, and choose its members.
...
Sexton has a good reputation furthermore as being unbiased, and with sensitivity to the public perception ramifications involved as well. She and Nissan ENGINEER Jeff Kuhlman are reportedly working with others believed qualified to get answers to satisfy inquiring minds...

So, I guess they were both formerly with GM PR/comms/marketing?

Is Jeff an Engineer too?

 

[JeremyW]

i hope he comes back with a price for a new battery, installed.

+5000 :lol:

Could be sooner if the Smyrna plant comes on line

Shouldn't it have been online by now? It's Offically-Not-September (TM)

 

[LEAFguy]

Is Jeff an Engineer too?

That reference seems to have been made up by the writer, not by Nissan. The referenced Nissan-Global.com press release claims significant communications background at various companies, although he started his career in the GM Powertrain Division.

 

[cwerdna]

I wouldn't consider him "missing in action" at this point. The guy does have other job responsibilities. I think that frequent commenting would be every couple of weeks. If he doesn't have anything to say, or can't disclose something we would like to know, there isn't any point in him posting just so he can say he was here. Let's give it a couple of months and see what happens.

Agree completely.

After all, he might have to run some of what he's going to post by legal/PR staff or check w/engineers. They might have to iterate a few times on the content, wording, accuracy, etc. If he's going to promise something, I'm sure he'd need some people to sign off on that.

Large (and small) companies doing business in the US need to be super careful what they say.