The Line between Personal Beliefs and Company Position
February 25, 2008 | Written by Yan Shikhvarger
This dilemma has very recently come to very close attention, as Bob Lutz, a Vice Chairman of GM, called global warming "a total crock of sh*!." This comment was made to reporters, and as expected the Blogosphere pickup began to mount to a point that Mr. Lutz addressed the issue further on the official GM Corporate Blog. The argument was that personal views have no influence on company policy, as GM is committed to green products and energy efficiencies.
However, it is important to connect with the values of consumers for a company. Consumers have come to see climate change as a very important issue. An October Harris poll found that 71% believe in climate change and this will be a major issue in the upcoming presidential election. Consumers expect a personal commitment to the values that are consistent to overall company and brand values. They want to see a brand and its executives being on the same page. For example, could Steve Jobs make an anti-technology speech? Could an executive at a pharmaceutical company make a speech that disregards patient needs or beliefs?
In a current climate of the Blogosphere, online brand advocates, social networking, an inconsistent comment can easily be disseminated online to millions and spark an online debate that a company will not win. It does seem that publicly stated personal beliefs should be consistent with company and brand values at the executive level. Anything else will be too damaging to any communication efforts.
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