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man000204-056
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    constant' use and repetition, it is very much like the parable.of the house built on sand. Time w ill wash it away unless more sand, is pushed under .the foundation. This is a nevereendingfofa. Earlier in reporting on point two I said that the District did not have a corporate image.. A ctua lly this is not true. It had an image, but it was in reverse. The image held by the people was that the District was a huge goblin whose only purpose was to squeeze money out of them by the sale of water and dictatorial powers. This image was carried over from that built up by the old Land and Water Company owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. This Image was broken down and a new one built by many devices. To name {ust a co u p le .. . .first, the word "company" was used only in association with tbe railroad as separated from the Las Vegas Valley Water District. It took literally months of work to finally get the two ma)or newspapers to capitalize the title of the District. This may seem minor. But, here again we are working with an unseen but powerful force. The capitalization of the words in print lend emphasis cmd import along with a feeling of personality to go with a name. Frankly, more progress in this respect was made outside the District than inside. W hile we were able to get the news media to jabel our utility as the Water District, many of our own employees, and yes, even some of our Directors continued to use the term "water company. " In addition to educating editors, much time and effort was given to educate public officials and legislators along this lin e . This was most important if we were to live with them and stand on equal ground. Here we made considerable progress and the effect is likely to continue longer than.in other areas. Why this effort? The corporate imqge held by the people is almost as important as the product itself. For instance.. . . when you think of "American Telephone and Telegraph," you think of "blue chip" or highly efficient organization, far-flung s e rvic e .. When you think of "General Electric, * you think of research for better living or as they put it...."p ro g re s s Js.our most important product.” .O n the other hand, when you think of "General M otors," you think of the huge, all-powerful big business. General Motors is so concerned with the image, that starting the first of next year they w ill reduce their advertising.budget by some seven-million dollars and turn it into direct public relations. Indications are that this trend w ill continue and grow in American business. A favorable image is mandatory if the public Is to buy stocks or vote for bonds. The District has made some progress in this, direction, but s till has a long way to g o . As to point three...corporate maturity. Here the District is at a low ebb and the prospect is not bright. But, with a w ell planned program it can be accomplished but it w ill take several years. Corporate maturity is not something that can be . created andblftlt by public relations. It must come from management. Public relations: can sell it only after it has been developed. Corporate maturity in a community like Las Vegas is especially d ifficu lt. Whether we like to admit it or not, Las Vegas, perhaps all of Nevada, is still provincial or perhaps we can more properly call It "fron tier." Here is the last outpost of the personal relation­ship in business. Little, if any, negotiation is done on a business basis. Mostly,