“Thank You America” is the headline on a Chrysler print ad in today’s New York Times. The line sits atop a picture of a huge group of employees, 2 paragraphs of copy, the logos of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep and Robert Nardelli’s signature.
After first wondering if spending $50,000 on a print ad is the best use of corporate bailout funds, I’ve decided it is a smart move. Sometimes people just need to hear “Thank you.” No rationalizations. No explanations. A contrite thank you, said in the right tone, can go a long way.
This was a classy gesture and hopefully the first step in Chrysler’s long road back. Chrysler owes us…and if it remembers this each and every step on that road back, it just may have a future.