If not today, when … ?

Ask anyone. I’m a broken record for aligning our corporate brand and strategy messaging at Best Buy – for trying to get communications, HR, marketing and everyone else who communicates brand and/or strategic intent to align around a single message (and while I’ve proposed messages, I’m not married to mine; I’m married to the notion that we need to have one and only one).

While some folks are no doubt sick of listening to me …

• Everyone I talk to agrees we’re misaligned and have many inconsistent, competing messages.
• Everyone I talk to agrees there’s incredible value in alignment.
• Everyone I talk to says it’s work we need to do.
• Everyone I talk to acknowledges we’re not very good at it.

BUT …

• Everyone I talk to says it’s difficult, counter-cultural work here at Best Buy. That said, we all nod knowingly, go back to our cubes and do the same old things – because while alignment on a single, clear compelling message is a good idea, it’s too tough to tackle. The people doing the messaging are going to protect their turf and won’t “play ball” because they don’t have to. So why bother?

Last year, we launched a “brand coalition” and invited various owners of brand-related communicators to come together to hash out issues, draft a single story and align our efforts. Passive aggressive. Disinterest. Fizzle. Crash. Burn. This company has always rewarded those who “do.” Doing thoughtfully hasn’t been a necessary piece of the equation.

The thing is, message misalignment makes it difficult to achieve our strategic goals; wastes the money spent to support competing, overlapping initiatives (in an environment where we’re constantly challenged to reduce SG&A expenses); and frustrates the heck out of customers and employees who haven’t already tuned us out.

So my questions are these:

• If we agree it’s a good idea, why not just do it?
• If we agree that we should do it, why not start now?
• If not now, when?

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