Beware of false prophets (profits?)

I finally got around to responding to Larry's comments and I DO believe they need a response. (See Larry's comments in the previous posting about Wal-Mart.) So much so that I felt that it needed to be in a new posting format instead of a comment.

In particular, Larry, I wanted to reply to your comments about GSDM's opportunties to reshape marketing at Wal-Mart. That assumes it needed reshaping in the first place. Personally, I doubt it. Wal-Mart is what it is and it has been the best at what it is: A get-whatever-you-need at a low, low price store for lower to middle incomed people.

And I believe that much of the proof in that pudding is, for example, their ill-fated venture with Metro 7 clothing, aimed at upscale shoppers. Followed by that teen social networking thing called "The Hub," which absolutely bombed. Come on, just how cool is it for teens to gather at a My Space knock-off that's trying to sell Wal Mart stuff to them?

Which all goes to say that GSDM, in my opinion, held faithful to the brand's position, while Wal Mart management went off the deep end trying to be something they are not.

It may be unfair and seem like "piling on," but I can't but help wonder if those obtuse changes in the Wal Mart vision were products of the now-fired Julie Roehm and her assistant and alleged lover. I don't know that for sure... but the changes did seem to come about that time.

In marketing, resist false prophets (profits?).