"You can't talk your way out of something you behaved your way into. You have to behave your way out of it."
- Doug Conant CEO Campbell's Soup
I love that statement.
Once could trade out the word "talk" in his quote, for the word "advertise" or even the term "public relations", because when companies talk, that's what they are doing.
Often people equate advertising and public relations with a gloss that covers over many ills...and to be fair, for many firms it is exactly that. But that is not real, lasting, effective advertising as part of a strong and healthy brand focus. Strong, healthy, brand-focussed advertising looks a lot more like what Doug Conant advocates above. As you behave your way out of your organizational challenges, talk about it. Without the behaviour change, it's best to keep quiet.
