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Branding was knocking at the big three automakers front door last week, but there was no answer. They were all in Washington with their hand out. What a shame, because they missed a tremendous opportunity to become the perceived market leader.
Instead of flying to Washington, imagine if Ford CEO, Alan Mulally had said “No, I’m not going. We refuse all government ‘bailout’ money. Standing with your hand out is not the American way. There are lots of American families and small businesses in this country that won’t get a bailout. We stand with them.”
When everyone else zigs, you zag. Marty Newmeier calls it the number one strategy of high-performance brands. While the GM & Chrysler CEO were lounging on their private jets, Mulally could have announced Ford’s jets were for sale. All the money from the sale of the jets would be used to set up employment re-training centers for laid-off Ford employees.
It would have been a Ford re-brand with epic implications. A brand that would have resonated with an American people weary of a privileged class that doesn’t accept responsibility. But unfortunately, it didn’t happen. The opportunity to be a different brand was knocking, but Mulally wasn’t home.
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