Be Careful What You Wish For

The monstrous recall from Toyota has served as a reminder that even the most prominent companies are sometimes vulnerable to having their reputations compromised. Although the business schools will be dissecting this case study for years as a prototype for overproduction, cost cutting, and poor corporate communications, the most important lesson may be the necessary meticulous selection of a company tag line.

Isn't it ironic that Toyota currently uses "Moving Forward" when they just announced a recall for a jammed accelerator pedal that will cause their cars to....move forward? The joke writes itself. But don't kid yourself. This is far from a unique situation for corporate America. It was just one year ago that AIG, in a weakened position and with the threat of their demise in front of them, had to live with "The Strength to Be There." If it wasn't for our tax money, they wouldn't be here.

I would be remiss if I didn't discuss the King of all Faux Pas from managerial consulting behemoth, Accenture. They chose to sign a sizable contract with Tiger Woods to be their corporate pitch man. However, the creatives didn't have a clue that when they chose the tag line, "Be a Tiger", that it would have less to do with Accenture's prowess in the board room, and more about Tiger's performance in the bedroom.

Sometimes corporate slogans aren't snakebitten by scandal at all, they're just too honest. Take Dunkin' Donuts for instance. Don't you find it slightly amusing that the notable sellers of coffee, a well known diuretic, professes that "America Runs on Dunkin"? Well, we can't argue with that. And let's not forget that American Airlines reminds us that "We know why you fly."With the current security measures in place, they probably know why each one of us is flying and soon they'll know the color of our underwear. I'm also not fond of Capital One constantly asking me, "What's in Your Wallet? Hey, it's none of your business.

My personal favorites are the names of the franchises themselves. I would have killed to be in the meeting when BJ's was approved. I wonder what the runner up was. STDs? And I just love Bed, Bath, and Beyond. For many, it reminds us of one of the best dates we ever had. First to bed, then a bath, and then something beyond that.

Now that's a shopping experience.