Boeing, Branding, and the Brutal Truth About Company Values

After being the poster child of ironic company core values for many years, Boeing is trying to write a new story. And they’re starting with some familiar words:
Integrity. Safety. Quality. Inclusion. Transparency.

On paper? Flawless.
In practice? We’ll see.

Boeing’s updated values were published following brutal internal employee feedback and mounting public scrutiny after a string of high-profile safety and quality failures. But if you’ve been paying attention, this isn’t the first time Boeing has declared a culture reset. And it certainly isn’t the first time a major brand has tried to polish its image with a rebrand rather than do the hard work of change.

Let’s rewind.

The Culture Crisis at Boeing: A Quick Recap

In the wake of tragic crashes and damning reports, Boeing’s internal culture came under fire. Employees described a culture of fear, silenced voices, and leadership more concerned with optics than safety. Whistleblowers were ignored. Safety concerns were dismissed. Profit was prioritized over people and product.

And all the while, Boeing’s brand proudly promised safety, accountability, and quality. The disconnect wasn’t subtle—it was seismic.

A Brand Outpacing Its Culture

This is the classic trap: when brand messaging speeds ahead of lived reality. It creates a credibility gap. And once that gap becomes public, regaining trust is a mountain few companies are equipped to climb.

In Boeing’s case, the brand said “safety first.”
But employees were saying, “speak up, and you’re out.”

You can’t slap integrity on a banner and call it culture.
You can’t whisper inclusion on a Zoom call and expect belonging to bloom.

What Boeing Might Be Getting Right This Time

This time around, there’s one thing Boeing seems to be doing differently—and possibly right:
They involved their employees.

According to reporting by The Seattle Times, Boeing’s new values were developed with input from an internal employee-led committee, rather than being handed down solely from the executive suite. That’s a smart move—because when values are co-created, they’re more likely to be lived.

Let’s be clear: Publishing new values is easy.
Embodying them is the real work.

What Boeing Needs to Do Now

A rebrand won’t save you if the culture doesn’t change. Here’s where Boeing—and any other company watching from the sidelines—needs to focus next:

✅ Listen, Loudly and Often

Values without feedback loops are just nice-sounding wishes. If you want integrity and inclusion, build systems that surface truth—even when it’s uncomfortable.

✅ Reward the Right Behaviors

If safety is a value, are promotions tied to safety performance? If inclusion matters, are leaders held accountable for fostering psychological safety? Measure what you say you value.

✅ Audit What Gets Tolerated

The fastest way to kill a culture is to tolerate behavior that contradicts it. One toxic leader can undo years of messaging. One whistleblower ignored can break trust across the company.

✅ Close the Brand-Culture Gap

The internal culture must reflect the external brand—or the brand becomes meaningless. Consistency between what you say and what you do isn’t just ethical—it’s strategic.

A Final Thought: Culture Is Not a Slogan

This isn’t just a Boeing problem.

This is a wake-up call for every organization whose branding has outpaced their behavior. Culture isn’t a tagline. It’s not a slide in a pitch deck. It’s not the words etched into the wall in the lobby.

Culture is how your people make decisions when no one’s watching.
It’s what gets rewarded. It’s what gets tolerated. It’s what gets protected.

So yes, Boeing has taken a step in the right direction. But if they want to rebuild trust—inside and out—it’s time to stop telling us what their values are and start showing us.

We’ll be watching. 👀