What Did Jesus Drive: Crisis PR in Cars, Computers and Christianity
About this ebook
Imagine a thousand cameras flashing in your eyes through a forest of microphones, everyone millions of dollars and world-wide headlines riding on your every word as you try to navigate your company through crisis, time and time again.
It’s not for the faint of heart…
But it does make for one entertaining memoir!
Welcome to the life of Jason Vines, the man who preserved the good name of Ford/Firestone, Jeep, General Motors, Nissan, Chevy, and other mega-companies throughout one catastrophe after the next.
In Vines’ candid first book, “What Did Jesus Drive”, you’ll hear about all the trials, tribulations, hilarity, and heartbreak of being a master PR consultant – straight from the man with the silver tongue himself!
Outrageous as it is insightful, shocking as it is refreshing; “What Did Jesus Drive” will have you laughing yourself hoarse all the while teaching you how to keep your cool with IT hits the fan!
This isn’t the PR class you took in Business School!
And relax; this is not a book about Jesus. (Although he does appear in two chapters: first as a Hispanic grandfather from Waterford, Michigan, and later as the real Prince of Peace.)
No, this book is about a life in the public relations blast furnace of the automotive industry; being the only man on the front line.
If you’re a company owner, CEO, PR professional, the lessons and stories in this book are INVALUABLE for you and everyone in your PR department!
Even if you’re just somebody who enjoys a look into the wild ride in the world of corporate America, this book is for you.
Get your copy of “What Did Jesus Drive” now, and let the games begin!
**Reviews**
"Jason's story telling is his honest account of time well spent in a career documenting numerous pivotal events we all want to hear about." – Lee Iacocca
"Get me Jason Vines! How I wish as the candidates I worked for screamed, screwed, or gaffed their way into crisis, I had called on Jason Vines. This is more than a corporate PR book - it's a masters' class, no holds barred, white knuckle ride of insights and wisdom for anyone whose job it is to communicate for a living.” – ??????
“Jason Vines in raw and real story telling of his own journey explains to every politician, celebrity, corporate communications professional and government agency that has ever faced trouble (yes I am talking about you NFL - read this one Goodell!) why we have such a hard time telling the truth, why that's the whole frickin' problem and what we can do about it." – Joe Trippi, Democratic Campaign and Media Consultant.
"Jason Vines lived The Hurt Locker, defusing one public relations I.E.D. after another. To think some of the largest corporations we can name have been this close to pure PR disaster, and yet were saved by the insight Jason earned from decades of corporate cage fights, is truly amazing." – Dutch Mandel, AutoWeek Publisher
"I always knew I could count on Jason for an unbiased and honest opinion."
– Dr. Ricardo Martinez, MD, FACEP and former NHTSA Administrator
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About the author
Jason Vines, 54, is an independent communications and government affairs consultant specializing in crisis management, reputation management, brand rehabilitation, product launch and automotive issues. Vines has counseled General Motors on issues surrounding the Chevy Volt, the U.S. Government divestiture of GM stock, the revival of GM’s European operations and other corporate and product issues, including the recent recall conundrum regarding the ignition switch issue. In addition, Vines has been involved with public policy issues regarding the electrification of the nation’s automobile fleet. He has also counseled a chemical client in reputational restoration, a major Native American tribe currently under attack by various agencies inside the federal U.S. Government and the U.S. auto dealers’ national association (NADA) on protection of the current, independent state-based dealer franchise system.
Vines served as the top communications professional for three automakers – Nissan, Ford and Chrysler -- between 1998 and 2008. He was named “Top PR Professional” in the automotive industry in 1999, 2005 and 2006 by Automotive News, the industry’s lead trade publication. He is credited with leading some of the most memorable product launches in the automotive industry including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Viper, Dodge Ram and the reborn Nissan 350Z.
At Chrysler, Vines successfully led the company against allegations of sudden acceleration with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle was exonerated by the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA). Then, in 1997, amid some regulators and media predicting huge injury and fatality numbers among children coming in contact with deployed air bags, Vines help conceive and instituted “The Back is Where It’s At,” a nationwide elementary education program encouraging children 13 and under to ride safely in the back seat. The predicted crisis never materialized as 95 percent of all schools in the country used the curriculum. It is still considered one of the most impactful passenger safety programs in U.S. history.
Vines joined Nissan in 1998 as the company was on the brink of bankruptcy and in short order helped restore their image, becoming the industry comeback story just two years later. His work resulted in his first honor from Automotive News as the best in the business.
He was recruited by Ford Motor Company in early 2000 as head of global communications. Just weeks after his arrival, the Ford/Firestone tire crisis began to simmer before turning into the biggest automotive crisis in history, pitting two 100-year-old companies in a struggle for survival. Ford was eventually exonerated by NHTSA after spending more than $4B replacing Firestone tires on its customers’ vehicles after Firestone refused to replace their defective tires.
Vines is a Director-Emeritus of the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Mr. Vines received a Master’s Degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University in 1984 and a B.A. with a double major in Economics and Communications/Theater from Central College in Pella, Iowa in 1982. He has been married to his wife Betsy for more than 27 years and has three children: all college graduates without college loans thanks to their parents. Subsequently, both Betsy and Jason survive each evening on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. And a shared small salad with salted water dressing; sometimes with a squirt of ketchup stolen from a local McDonald’s added to break things up. They are currently searching for a new home after selling their townhome in Alexandria, Virginia. They are considering a pup tent they recently purchased at a WalMart in Troy, Michigan, as their permanent residence.
