Did Wal-Mart Wake Up? - The Arthur Page Society

Conduct Public Relations as if the Whole Company Depends on it
The Wal-Mart case study shows that this particular corporation conducted
corporate public relations when its reputation depended on it, and not because the
company felt an obligation to have a communication management function. If Wal-Mart
had utilized effective public relations strategy at the onset, it could have potentially
avoided the many challenges it faced within the past decade. Underestimating the
importance of a strategic communication function, then, proved to be the Achilles heel
that threatened the company’s downfall.
Realize a Company’s True Character is Expressed by its People
According to this particular principle, it is the responsibility of corporate
communications to support each employee’s capability and desire to be an honest,
knowledgeable ambassador to its various constituents. This case study shows that Wal-
Mart failed to follow this message. Instead of encouraging employees to champion the
mission of the company, Greenwald found while working on his film that employees are
scared and intimidated by upper management. These unhappy employees are what led to
some of the bad publicity for the company: multiple lawsuits, blogs, and high employee
turnover, with 70 percent of employees leaving the company within the first year. 62
Remain Calm, Patient, and Good-Humored
It is very doubtful that Wal-Mart was calm, patient, and good-humored when
facing its opponents. If anything, the company could have been seen as nasty and
aggressive. At the first annual media conference in Arkansas, media representatives took
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