Staring at the Wal

Today's New York Times article (free registration needed) on Wal-Mart executive Thomas M. Coughlin puts a spotlight on the public perception of Wal-Mart. Here is an executive who used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the company's money on personal spending but told everyone it was for a secret anti-union project. And many people bought it. Among its many image issues, Wal-Mart is perceived as being so fiercely anti-union that such a lie becomes plausible.

Where is Wal-Mart in all of this? With the public perception of Wal-Mart so harsh and unflattering, why hasn't the company done more to change its image? I wonder if the negative view of the retailer has become irreversible. At this point, more run-of-the-mill campaigns to counter its bad image will be seen as too little too late. For Wal-Mart to change the public's perception it can't just talk, it must do something tangible. And even that is not without its pitfalls--the potential is high for such actions to be seen as publicity stunts. But the company probably won't even consider changing its ways if it affects those everyday low prices.