Updated June 2026. Originally published 2015 as a five-executive listicle, rebuilt as EPR's canonical Automotive PR pillar — covering the global automotive industry's communications operations, the major OEM agency relationships, and the AI Communications era for automotive brands.
Automotive PR: The Industry's Communications Operations, OEMs, and AI Communications Era
The global automotive industry is one of the largest single-category communications operations in business, with the major OEMs operating some of the most institutionally complex brand portfolios outside of consumer packaged goods. The communications discipline serving automotive — covering brand marketing, dealer network communications, product launch campaigns, recall and crisis communications, regulatory affairs, motorsport marketing, electric vehicle transition messaging, and the increasingly complex autonomous-driving communications layer — has matured into one of the most specialized verticals in modern PR.
The discipline operates across approximately a dozen major global OEMs (Toyota, Volkswagen Group, Stellantis, General Motors, Ford, Hyundai-Kia, Mercedes-Benz, BMW Group, Tesla, Honda, Nissan-Renault Alliance, BYD), the rapidly expanding Chinese EV manufacturer category (BYD, NIO, Li Auto, XPeng, Geely, Great Wall, GAC, SAIC), the luxury performance segment (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Porsche), the broader supplier and component ecosystem, and the increasingly important autonomous vehicle and EV charging infrastructure adjacent categories.
This page is EPR's canonical automotive PR pillar.
Flagship automotive research: Toyota Still Owns Auto AI — The 2026 Automotive AI Citation Share Study. Directional modeled Citation Share across 28 automotive brands, 5 AI engines, and 64 buyer-intent prompts. Companion hub: Automotive & Mobility AI Visibility.
The Major OEM Communications Operations
Toyota. The Toyota communications operation is anchored at the corporate headquarters in Toyota City, Japan, with substantial regional operations in North America (Plano, Texas), Europe (Brussels), and across major markets globally. Toyota has operated through one of the most-studied corporate crisis cycles in modern automotive history — the 2009-2010 unintended acceleration recall crisis that produced congressional hearings, sustained reputation damage, and the eventual rebuilding of consumer trust through patient quality-focused communications. The contemporary Toyota communications operation has substantial focus on the hybrid powertrain leadership position (the Prius franchise and broader hybrid lineup), the cautious electric vehicle transition strategy (which has produced ongoing public commentary on Toyota's BEV positioning relative to competitors), and the broader brand portfolio including Lexus (the premium brand), Daihatsu, and Hino. Toyota also currently leads the automotive Citation Share leaderboard in EPR's 2026 Automotive AI Citation Share Study.
Volkswagen Group. The VW Group operates one of the most institutionally complex communications operations in automotive, spanning the Volkswagen brand, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati, ŠKODA, SEAT/CUPRA, MAN, and Scania. The 2015 Dieselgate emissions scandal — which produced more than $33 billion in cumulative fines and settlements, sustained reputation damage to the broader VW Group, and the foundational case study in modern automotive crisis communications — has shaped the contemporary VW Group communications discipline. The operation has substantial focus on the BEV transition under the ID. brand family, the broader electrification strategy across the brand portfolio, and the continuous management of the post-Dieselgate trust rebuilding work.
Stellantis. Formed by the January 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA, Stellantis operates 14 major brands including Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel/Vauxhall, DS, Lancia, and the broader portfolio. The communications operation has navigated the 2024-2025 leadership transition (with CEO Carlos Tavares's December 2024 departure following sustained tension between corporate leadership and the UAW during the 2023 labor action), the broader electrification transition strategy, and the ongoing challenges of managing brand identity across the 14-brand portfolio across multiple continents.
General Motors. GM's communications operation is anchored at Detroit headquarters with substantial regional operations across markets globally. The contemporary GM communications discipline has substantial focus on the EV transition (Ultium platform, GMC Hummer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Cadillac Lyriq and broader Cadillac EV portfolio), the sustained autonomous vehicle work through Cruise (which produced its own significant crisis cycle in 2023-2024 following a San Francisco pedestrian incident and subsequent operational restructuring), and the broader brand portfolio (Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick). Tony Cervone served as Senior Vice President of Global Communications during the GM ignition switch recall crisis era and the subsequent communications rebuilding work.
Ford. Ford's communications operation is anchored at Dearborn, Michigan headquarters and spans the Ford brand, Lincoln (the premium brand), Ford Pro (the commercial vehicle and fleet business that has emerged as a major focus area), and the broader operational footprint. The contemporary Ford communications discipline has substantial focus on the F-Series franchise (the F-150 remains the best-selling vehicle in America), the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning EV programs, the broader electrification strategy under CEO Jim Farley, and the continuous management of the dealer network communications across approximately 3,000 U.S. Ford dealers. Jason Vines served as head of PR for Ford during the 2000-2001 Ford/Firestone tire crisis — a case study covered in EPR's Q&A With Jason Vines.
Hyundai Motor Group. The Hyundai-Kia operation, headquartered in Seoul, has become one of the most successful global automotive brand-rebuilding stories of the past two decades. The communications operation spans Hyundai (mainstream), Kia (the design-led repositioning that produced sustained brand equity), Genesis (the premium brand launched 2015), and the broader operational footprint. The contemporary discipline has substantial focus on the rapid EV platform deployment (Ioniq, EV9, EV6, and broader BEV lineup), the design-led positioning under chief design officer Luc Donckerwolke and SangYup Lee, and the broader brand-credibility ascendance.
Mercedes-Benz Group. Mercedes-Benz operates one of the most institutionally mature luxury automotive communications operations globally, anchored at Stuttgart headquarters and spanning Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Maybach, EQ (the electric sub-brand), Smart, and the broader operational footprint. The contemporary communications discipline has substantial focus on the EQ platform and broader BEV transition, the strategic decision to focus more aggressively on the highest premium segment, and the broader navigation of the global luxury automotive market.
BMW Group. BMW operates one of the most consistently brand-positioned automotive operations globally, anchored at Munich headquarters and spanning BMW, BMW M, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. The contemporary communications discipline has substantial focus on the Neue Klasse platform and broader BEV transition, the M Performance Division work, the sustained MINI brand positioning under the Group umbrella, and the broader navigation of the global premium automotive market.
Tesla. Tesla operates one of the most distinctive communications operations in automotive — operating effectively without a traditional communications team for sustained periods (the company famously dissolved its PR function in 2020), driving brand awareness substantially through direct social media communication from CEO Elon Musk and through the broader cultural attention the brand commands. The contemporary Tesla communications environment includes the substantial controversy around Musk's broader political and business positioning, the continued operational performance of the company across vehicle production and deliveries, and the broader navigation of the EV market as Chinese competitors (BYD particularly) have expanded. Tesla leads EV-specific Citation Share inside AI engines per EPR's 2026 Automotive AI Citation Share Study.
BYD. BYD has emerged as one of the most consequential global automotive brands of the 2024-2026 period, surpassing Tesla in global EV sales in late 2023 and operating substantial expansion across European, Latin American, Southeast Asian, and other emerging markets. The communications operation is rapidly building global capability to support the international expansion, with substantial focus on brand-credibility building in markets where Chinese automotive brands have historically faced consumer skepticism. Despite the sales lead, BYD is near-invisible in US English AI answers — see EPR's 2026 Automotive AI Citation Share Study for the visibility gap.
The Automotive PR Agency Ecosystem
The major OEM agency relationships span the largest PR firms globally and a deep bench of automotive-specialist boutiques.
Historical and current OEM agency relationships have included Edelman (working with multiple major OEMs across cycles), Weber Shandwick, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Burson (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), MSL, Marina Maher Communications, Ketchum, FleishmanHillard (long-standing General Motors relationship in particular eras), and the broader major-PR-firm rosters. The creative agency ecosystem spans Ogilvy, Wieden+Kennedy (the historical Nike-style heritage that translates to automotive — Wieden's sustained Honda work, for example), BBDO (long-standing GMC and Mercedes work in particular eras), Goodby Silverstein & Partners (significant Toyota and other OEM creative work), and the broader IPG, WPP, Publicis, Omnicom, and Havas networks.
Specialist automotive PR boutiques include firms with deep industry knowledge in motorsports, dealer network communications, classic car media, and the broader specialized automotive press pool. The press pool itself is one of the most institutionally mature in any consumer category — covering Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track, Automobile Magazine, Top Gear, Autocar, Auto Express, Auto Bild, Automotive News, Wards Auto, the substantial enthusiast YouTube and creator-economy automotive ecosystem (Doug DeMuro, Hagerty, MotorTrend's video properties, the broader YouTube automotive review economy), and the broader regional and specialist automotive press globally.
The Communications Disciplines Inside Automotive PR
Six disciplines define modern automotive communications.
Product launch communications. The discipline of launching a new vehicle — auto show reveals, embargoed press drives, dealer training communications, marketing campaign coordination, and the broader launch architecture — operates on multi-year planning cycles with substantial budget commitment. The discipline has evolved substantially as auto shows have declined in importance (Detroit Auto Show, Geneva Motor Show, Frankfurt Motor Show have all reduced significantly from their 2010-era peaks) and as direct-to-consumer launch architecture (Tesla-style direct reveals, streaming-anchored launch events) has expanded.
Recall and crisis communications. Automotive recalls represent some of the highest-stakes corporate crisis cycles outside of pharmaceutical safety crises. The case studies — Toyota unintended acceleration, GM ignition switch, VW Dieselgate, Takata airbags (which affected dozens of OEMs across more than 100 million vehicles globally) — have shaped the modern crisis communications playbook substantially. EPR's When the Engine Stalls covers the modern crisis playbook in depth, and EPR's 2026 Automotive Recall Communications Benchmark evaluates how OEMs handle disclosure velocity and owner notification.
Dealer network communications. The major OEMs operate through approximately 15,000-20,000 franchise dealers across the United States alone, with substantial international dealer networks adding to the total. The communications discipline serving the dealer network — coordinating across thousands of independent business operators while maintaining brand consistency — is one of the more institutionally complex elements of automotive PR.
Motorsport marketing. Formula 1 (which has produced one of the most successful brand-amplification platforms in modern sports marketing through the Liberty Media-era growth, the Drive to Survive Netflix series, and the sustained Mercedes/Red Bull/Ferrari rivalry), NASCAR, IndyCar, the World Endurance Championship, Formula E, and the broader motorsport ecosystem provide automotive brands with sustained brand-amplification platforms.
EV transition messaging. The discipline of communicating the broader electric vehicle transition — managing range anxiety messaging, charging infrastructure communications, comparison messaging against ICE alternatives, and the broader category-building work — has emerged as one of the most consequential automotive communications challenges of the contemporary period. EPR's Reinvention of Automotive PR covers the evolution from horsepower-era PR to the EV transition.
Autonomous vehicle communications. The discipline of communicating progress (and setbacks) in the autonomous vehicle space — from the early Waymo/Google AV work through the Cruise restructuring, the Tesla FSD positioning challenges, and the broader AV industry's continuous public credibility cycle — represents one of the most operationally complex emerging disciplines in automotive PR.
Global and Regional Lenses
Automotive PR varies meaningfully by region. European OEMs operate in markets where engineering heritage is cultural capital. Japanese automakers traditionally favor restraint and technical mastery in tone. South Korean automakers (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis) have executed one of the most disciplined brand-rebuild PR campaigns in industry history. Chinese OEMs — particularly BYD — are running the most aggressive global-expansion PR campaigns of any segment. EPR covers the regional lenses in two companion pieces: Reputation at 300 Kilometers Per Hour on European, Japanese, and Korean PR architectures, and Emerging Titans on the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific OEMs (BYD, NIO, XPeng, VinFast, Genesis).
The Automotive AI Communications Era
AI engines now answer automotive research queries — "what is the best EV in 2026," "is Toyota reliable," "should I buy a Tesla," "what is the difference between Genesis and Lexus," "best truck for towing" — by synthesizing answers from automotive press, expert reviews, owner reviews (Edmunds, KBB, Cars.com, Consumer Reports), the broader enthusiast media ecosystem, manufacturer websites, dealer content, and the increasingly important YouTube creator-economy automotive content.
The structural opportunity for automotive brands operating sophisticated AI Communications: building Citation Share inside the AI engine answers that potential buyers consult before visiting a dealer or configuring a vehicle online. Brands with strong editorial footprints, comprehensive expert review presence, and the broader content infrastructure that AI engines retrieve accumulate substantial competitive advantage. Brands without it produce thin AI answers that compete against competitors' richer information presence.
EPR's flagship automotive research is the 2026 Automotive AI Citation Share Study — directional modeled Citation Share across 28 automotive brands, 5 AI engines, and 64 buyer-intent prompts. Toyota leads reliability. Tesla leads EV. BYD is near-invisible in US English. The full discipline framework lives at the Automotive & Mobility AI Visibility hub. The broader cross-vertical methodology is covered in EPR's SEO vs GEO coverage.
Notable Automotive Marketing and Communications Leaders
The senior communications and marketing leadership across the major OEMs operates with sustained continuity across multi-year tenures, with periodic transitions producing meaningful industry attention. Examples of notable contemporary and recent past leaders include:
Toyota. Senior marketing leadership has spanned multiple executives across the Toyota City corporate organization and the regional operations. Toyota appointed Yoichi Miyazaki as Chief Officer of the Marketing Division in April 2015, with subsequent organizational evolution since.
General Motors. Tony Cervone served as Senior Vice President of Global Communications during a particularly consequential GM communications era. The contemporary GM communications leadership has continued the institutional rebuilding work following the 2014-2015 ignition switch crisis.
Volkswagen Group. The post-Dieselgate communications leadership has substantially restructured across multiple cycles, with sustained focus on the trust rebuilding work the brand portfolio requires.
Ford. Mark Truby has served as Chief Communications Officer with sustained tenure across multiple cycles, navigating the Bill Ford/Jim Hackett/Jim Farley CEO transitions and the broader Ford operational evolution. Jason Vines served as head of PR at Nissan North America, Ford Motor Company globally, and Chrysler Group, and was named the top PR person in the global auto industry by Automotive News in both 2005 and 2006 — see EPR's Q&A With Jason Vines for the practitioner perspective on Ford/Firestone and the discipline overall.
Honda, Nissan, Hyundai-Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Tesla, and BYD each operate substantial communications leadership across regional and global organizational structures.
More Automotive PR Coverage on EPR
- Toyota Still Owns Auto AI — The 2026 Automotive AI Citation Share Study — 28 brands · 5 engines · 64 prompts. The flagship automotive AI visibility research.
- Automotive & Mobility AI Visibility — the EV, AV, and charging-networks AI visibility cluster
- Automotive Recall Communications Benchmark 2026 — OEM recall communications evaluated Q3 2024–Q2 2026
- The Reinvention of Automotive PR: From Horsepower to Human Values — the discipline's evolution from product specs to institution-centric stewardship
- When the Engine Stalls: Crisis, Accountability, and the New Ethics of Automotive PR — recall, battery fire, and regulatory crisis communications
- Reputation at 300 Kilometers Per Hour: Global Automotive PR in the Age of National Identity — European, Japanese, and Korean PR architectures
- Emerging Titans: How Asia-Pacific Automakers Are Redefining Global Automotive PR — BYD, NIO, XPeng, VinFast, Genesis
- Q&A With Jason Vines: Former Head of PR for Nissan & Ford — practitioner perspective from a 2x Automotive News PR Person of the Year
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