Today I went to ge.com and saw the company no longer stands for “imagination at work.” It stands for “doing” and being “the best” when it comes to “things that matter.”
I love when companies evolve — especially big ones like GE and IBM — but this new GE boilerplate is weird because it’s just so vague.
This is the full version:
GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works.
So here’s my biggest problem with this boilerplate:
It doesn’t make me want to cheer for GE at all. And I could very well be the only non-GE employee who will openly say “I love GE.”
(Full disclosure: I worked on a lot of projects for ge.com back in the day. I’m a big fan of the company and their values.)
So let’s break this down:
First line:
GE works on things that matter.
That first sentence is meaningless. Every company that exists, that has customers, that makes money believes the work they do matters to someone. This line doesn’t say anything at all. What a weak start.
Next line:
The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges.
It’s a cliche, but people who are the best don’t say they are the best. And that’s not GE’s style anyway.
GE is about heads-down, humble confidence, striving for progress and taking on things that no other company can. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “best” used like that in any other GE materials — let alone twice in one sentence.
Next line:
Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance.
Oof. “Solutions” is just terrible. And I don’t like how it says, “health and home.” Like there was no other place to include “home,” but it had to be in there somewhere because of the lightbulbs and appliances businesses.
Next line:
Building, powering, moving and curing the world.
Check it out, a string of verbs. But what’s GE building, powering, moving and curing? What’s the impact of all this action? Some crescendo here, please.
What about, “We’re building new technologies, powering cities and entire industries, as we move billions of people towards better health and progress.”
Something like that? I don’t know. It feels like short sentences are the trend these days. Short sentences that don’t say much at all.
(Side note: a great blog post by Ben Casnocha about short. Bursts. Of advice.)
Another small thing: GE is not in business to cure people, let alone the world. How did the word “cure” make it in there? That’s getting carried away.
Last lines:
Not just imagining. Doing. GE works.
Groan. That was written for the TV spot voiceover, I’m guessing. As if GE is the new Nike. Sigh.
