Restoring the brand for those in the money business.

• Author: Hall, Robert
• Position: MARKETING SOLUTIONS - Column

"(T)he purpose of free enterprise is human flourishing, not materialism."

-Aruthur C. Brooks, "America's New Culture War," The Washington Post, Post, May 23, 2010

I DON'T EVER REMEMBER MONEY BEING SO CONTROVERSIAL. We question if the euro will sustain as a viable currency. We worry that Greece is going to run out of money and that California already has. Many are concerned that the federal government is borrowing more than it can ever repay. Corporations and especially banks are under attack for making too much. And we are still licking our wounds over the ill-gotten gains of the Ponzimeisters. Concerns abound about being taxed too much or not enough, not distributing money fairly and the loss of our ability to generate prosperity. Everyone seems concerned about the shortage of jobs--especially for men, blacks, new college grads--as a source of making money.

It is a tough time to be in the money business, whether you are a politician dealing with financial crisis, tax policy, spending and budget issues; a banker dealing with underwater mortgages, overdraft fees or executive bonus programs; or a financial adviser dealing with client worries of where they can invest safely. We seem confused, divided and wounded by issues of money.

It is not surprising that today our admiration for the military, firefighters and police is so high. One reason is they seem to epitomize success more noble than just getting rich. We are in awe of soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan who perform very dangerous and often heroic feats with no incentive of a bonus or commission.

Money has grown more important

Contrast that to how other major institutions are faring on the confidence and stewardship scale. According to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 20 years ago 42 percent of Americans said they trusted government always or just about to do the right thing. That number is now down to 25 percent. Gallup reports that over the last two decades, the share of Americans saying they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in banks has fallen to 22 percent from 32 percent and in big business to 16 percent from 26 percent.

At the core, these concerns have much to do with issues of money. Money more than ever has become central to politicians, lobbyists and getting re-elected. Our best and brightest from Harvard and other top schools have migrated to Wall Street in ever increasing numbers. As money has played a larger and more powerful role in just about...