The Power of a Logo
I chanced upon the news last week that Wal-Mart was undergoing a radical change, with the unveiling of a brand new logo. At first, I was baffled by the announcement. Why would they get rid of something which the whole world has gotten used to over the last couple of decades? The logo had been a symbol of the discount giant and everything that it stood for, ranging from low prices to massive stores.
It was then clear to me that the logo also weighed down the multinational corporation in more ways than one. The company had been receiving bad press from all directions, ranging from its poor environmental practices to its treatment of employees and suppliers. The negative connotations associated with the logo far outweighed the positives, and CEO Lee Scott decided that it was time for it to go. After all, what better way to kick start the new campaign to freshen up Wal-Mart’s image than by changing fundamentals such as the logo?
So how does the new logo compare with the old one? Well for starters, the bold capital letters have been replaced with lowercase letters. One interpretation of this could be the company’s desire to portray a warmer, friendlier image. The hyphen/star is now gone, and the company’s name has become a single word. What’s more, a sunburst has been added to end of the name, brightening up the logo with the role of cementing the cleaner feel to it.
Will it be successful? Only time will tell. There have been numerous companies which have changed their logos over the last few years, but that hasn’t necessarily made them more successful. Take Starbucks for example (forgive my harping on the company). The company came up with a new logo, but that hasn’t stopped it from having to shut down stores and shelve expansion plans.
One thing is for certain though. If Wal-mart believes that changing the logo alone, without altering its’ business practices, will remake the company’s image in the public’s eye, then it is deeply mistaken. It will have to continue showing the world its eco-friendly stance on a sustained basis, and avoid as much bad press as possible. The new logo could prove to be a useful stepping stone, but it is nothing more.
