At Mazda Corporation, we gather input from customers and use that information to develop cars tailored to the needs of each market. This crucial process would be impossible without the close cooperation of our local distributors. That is why Mazda works hard to ensure the sharing of information with its partners at every opportunity. We also provide opportunities and tools for distributors to share best practices and other information with each other.

Mazda takes pride in its tradition of close-knit communication between head office and regional representatives on a global scale. We host frequent conferences and forums to exchange views with the representatives and sales staff of our distributors in the USA, Europe, Australia and other major markets of the world. Topics are wide-ranging, extending not only to products and marketing but to brand strategy and many other areas. At these conferences, we assess information on customer needs in each country and region, so we can put it to work developing products that fully satisfy our customers.

In addition, Mazda creates forums to exchange best practices in each country and region, build strong ties of mutual understanding, and discuss effective strategies for boosting customer satisfaction. At the March 2009 conference of Caribbean and Central and South American distributors, for example, Mazda' s Chilean distributor shared its CRM (customer relationship management) success story.

Every year, Mazda honors distributors who have achieved outstanding results, as described below. In addition, in FY 2008 we began recognizing distributors who achieve excellence in CRM activities and in marketing activities.

The Overseas Sales Division oversees sales activities in Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This Division is working hard to bolster customer satisfaction and improve CRM strategies. To support its distributors endeavoring to carry out these tasks in every region, Mazda hosts seminars and publishes newsletters, providing opportunities for partners in each region to learn from the best practices of others.

Mazda views these support activities as vital in motivating distributors and strengthening operations. In FY 2007, Mazda began distributing Mazda Best Practice and CRM News, two newsletters devoted to examples of excellence in regions around the world. In FY 2008, Mazda published Mazda Best Practice 10 times and CRM News 12 times.