Tesla China VP for External Affairs Grace Tao said in an exchange with Weibo users Friday that the company really doesn’t want to spend time and energy on marketing and PR, and wants to spend its resources on things that will really make a difference in terms of value.
That includes developing and manufacturing really great products and providing excellent services to customers, she said, adding, “Time will tell in the end.”
Tesla has previously said that it does not want to focus on advertising in its product strategy, but is confident that it relies on the competitiveness of its products to speak for itself.
Previous media reports said that Tesla has disbanded its PR department in the US, with some teams responsible for PR remaining in some European and Asian markets.
The reports mentioned Keely Sulprizio, Tesla’s global head of communications, the last known Tesla staff member responsible for PR and communications, as having left in December 2019.
But in October this year, a Tesla PR recruitment in the country circulated on the Internet, and Tesla later confirmed the authenticity of the job posting.
According to the recruitment details, Tesla plans to hire “regional external affairs managers” in 10 cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Qingdao, and the position is clearly PR.
