Promoting That "One Thing"

In the business world, there is a phrase called "core competence" that some scholars refer to when discussing a particular company. For instance, what is the core competence of, say, Apple, Monsanto or General Motors? What is that one-thing or aspect of each entity that separates it from its competitors? Is there one thing that it does better consistently than any one else?  I confess to not being all that knowledgeable in a specific way about those or the great majority of other businesses or corporations that currently dominate the international landscape. However, I can say with authority that all successful or profitable companies have that "one thing." Otherwise, they would not be enjoying any kind of sustained or meaningful financial success.

My goal with this entry is to not delve into the specifics of any company's specialty. Rather, it is view that "one thing" from a communication perspective. More to the point, how does a company communicate that specialty both to the public and to its internal membership? I find this to be an interesting challenge. On the one hand, it would seem any entity wants to be viewed as being highly proficient in all areas of its existence. On the other, suppose it does, in fact, do one thing above all others extremely well. Should it not be as open about that as possible? Should it not go out of its way to promote that one area?

Promoting one particular aspect of an entire entity is a tricky dance step. Coca Cola is extremely successful and has been for many years. In large part, this is because the company does a superb job of promoting the taste of its product. But what about such aspects as the distribution of this product? How it is manufactured? How well its employees are treated? All this is to say, is there a danger or downside to, say, a company's internal morale if it appears to be promoting the work or efforts of one set of its workers over another? A company's communication experts needs to be sensitive to this possible problem.