Seven marketing execs have left since 2004. You would think that is suffering from avian flu based on how quickly people leave.

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DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- In the continuing exodus at Mitsubishi North America, Dave Schembri, exec VP-sales and marketing at troubled Mitsubishi Motors North America, resigned last week along with Wayne Killen, VP-marketing.

No successors named

A spokeswoman said no successors were named and that president-CEO Hiroshi Harunari will now direct those operations.

Mr. Harunari, who was managing director-overseas operations, assumed his new duties here Jan. 1. The move was an indication that Mitsubishi’s Japanese headquarters would take a stronger hand in U.S. marketing. Mitsubishi’s North American president-CEO Rich Gilligan now shares his post with Mr. Harunari.

Schembri brought ‘Japanese Cool’

Mr. Schembri joined Mitsubishi a year ago from Mercedes-Benz USA, where he had been VP of its Smart USA unit. He arrived at the tail end of an agency review, just as Mitsubishi was starting negotiations with Omnicom Group’s BBDO, Los Angeles, for national and regional creative accounts. Under Mr. Schembri, the brand changed its ad theme to something he called “Japanese Cool.”

Mr. Killen returned to Mitsubishi last September after a decade at Mercedes-Benz, where his last post was Maybach brand manager.

Last May, Kevin Mayer resigned as Mitsubishi’s advertising director, becoming the fifth marketing executive to leave since Ian Beavis resigned in December 2004 as senior VP-marketing, product development and public relations.

 

well they obviously weren't successful, so bring the new ones in.

 

No one is crying for them...they did a horrible horrible job. They shouldve resigned a long time ago. At the end of the day though, im a big believer of the product selling itself. And right now outside of the evo which is a niche car anyway, mitsubishi has no quality products at affordable prices.

If they want to sell cars, they have to make comparable cars to toyota and honda for 1500 to 2 grand cheaper so they can steal some customers away from them. Selling cars at the same price as toyota with inferior quality isnt gonna equate to success. They need to take a page out of nissan's playbook and use the same strategy for their cars.

 

They need to bring back the guy that produced the commercial with that white girl dancing in the eclipse.

 

+1+1+1

 

it made me wanna buy a 3g..... not really but it was a good commercial!

 

+1

I feel mitsubishi needs help the most in "advertising" and "product design". Besides the evo and ralliart, non of there ads strike me as "wow, must take a look at [insert car]". The eclipse, while a good step foward for them, is also ugly and fat. Seriously, who design this car and who gave the "ok" for production? The civic si, rsx-s, tibby, 350z, g35 and countless others look leagues better, why didn't mitsu do it's homework

 

I thought that commercial was incredibly annoying.

 

yeah, it pretty much sucked.

 

It sucked, but people remembered it. It's like the pet rock and chia(sp?) pets, some stupid idea always get incredibly popular, just like some stupid commercial gets remembered. It probably even got Mitsu some sales from idiots that try to pop-lock while they drive.

 

I liked dave chappelle's version though, LOL.

 

they should fire their CFO. that's where the problem lays.

It's not selling the cars, it's the financing to everyone that got mitsu in trouble in the first place.

 

not that i'd want it to happen, but if mitsubishi folded, can you imagine the resale value of our evos? it would be through the roof!

 

You don't understand. These were the NEW guys.

 

During its peak years (and not so peak year against the si, rsx, tib), the 3G outsold all of those cars. The 4G is selling better then the si, rsx, tibby and will possibly give the z or g a run. We'll have to wait for year end final results.

They did, well not really. They turned their financing arm over to more...let's just say, credible sources.

Pretty much every precedent in the auto industry shows that it is far more likely that the exact opposite of your statement would be true.

Exactly. Schembri was behind the whole J-cool thing. Probably wouldn't have gone over well with the mainstream crowd we so desperately need to impress. I met my first Japanese executive from Mitsubishi a few days ago, they really are trying to reform MMNA, and Harunari is the man to do it. So, I guess some housecleaning is necessary.