When the new WalMart logo appeared a few weeks ago, many of us speculated as to its intended meaning. What was that starburst all about? My belief is that it has to do with repositioning the WalMart brand against competitors such as Target, who allow WalMart to hold the low-end price leader position. But it’s a guess, because WalMart’s brand management has been so confusing.

The only thing stranger than the new corporate identity is the rollout itslef. I went visiting WalMart stores and saw no sign of the new logo. The old WalMart logo, with the star, was on the front signs, the shopping bags, the name tages, everywhere I looked - except on the bottom of the WalMart TV news screen. There the new starburst logo sat by itself. The familiar yellow smiley faces still filled the store, touting WalMart as the low-price leader. But the new logo was noticeably absent.

The rollout of the logo shows a brand identity program that is completely backwards. Let’s think about it. About 8 months ago, WalMart announced it would be selling organic produce. Aha! Something to entice the more upscale customer. But could they believe WalMart as a trusted provider of organic products? Hmm.

Then we got the new tagline on the radio and TV ads: “Save money. Live better.” So, now it’s not just about looking for the lowest price, but to live a richer life because I can spend my saved money on things that matter (hopefully on the organic produce). Months after that comes the new starburst logo, with no explanation. And dripped out ever so slowly. Have you seen the ads that have the old bags and the new logo? I can hear the discussion in the WalMart conference room. “Why waste money re-doing old footage when we can just edit the old ads and the new logo together?”

Yes, implementing a new logo costs money. If anyone understands supply chain costs, it’s WalMart.  But that is no excuse for getting the order of the brand identity all wrong. First we should have seen the new logo with a big messaging splash about how you can not only save money, but live the better life. Then, with that positioning firmly planted in our minds, should have come the proof points, such as the availability of organic produce.

This so-called campaign is a muddled mess. Yes, they saved some implementation costs. But they lost the brand message. Maybe their new tag line should be “Save money. Muddle brand.”

Popularity: 58% [?]

An international brand always has to determine how to capture the hearts and minds of customers in local markets while maintaining its corporate identity. I think the folks at Coca-Cola have done a marvelous job of doing just that with their sponsorship of the Olympic Games in Beijing. They’ve always done well in China, and it helps that Coca-Cola translates into Mandarin as “Delicious Happiness.”

To build on their success, they’ve taken the Olympics platform, a symbol of human beings from around the world coming together, and created their “Design the World a Coke” campaign. This social media program invites consumers to redesign the iconic coke bottle.

Think about that - using the core design element of your global brand and encouraging individuals to play around with it - creating whole art galleries if they want to - and posting them on the web. The result is that it strengthens the global brand by playing on the theme of unity through diversity and individual creativity. All of this plays delightfully into “Delicious Happiness,” especially for the folks at Coca-Cola.

Popularity: 55% [?]

Every brand needs to do four jobs for its customers: functional (what the products do); emotional (how I feel when I use the products); economic (do I feel this is a good use of my dollars); and social (help me feel connected and socially responsible). The social value of brands has been gaining quite a bit of momentum since the early 2000’s. Think of all the commercials you see where companies tout how they are good corporate citizens. They are trying to let you know that if you buy their products, you can feel good about your purchase.

Cynical? In some cases, yes. But if brands can truly discover not only what creates and emotional connection with their customers, but demonstrate a hgher social value (what Dave Norton calls “brand truth”), then they can pull away from their competitors. Consider the Body Shop.

Brand and product positioning based on higher social and emotional value can command a premium price in the market. Think ethos water, organic clothing for children, working vacations to Costa Rica vs. Cancun.

The social job is not always the most important and cannot be done at the sacrifice of brand trust. But it can add to your brand’s value.

Popularity: 54% [?]

What to make of the introduction of the new Walmart logo? Underwhelming in its announcement, it’s almost as if the retail giant wants to test the reaction before putting any commitment or punch behind it.  While the new font conveys a warmer, more approachable personality, the lighter blue may get lost across some backgrounds. The starburst at the end is a real puzzle. What is it meant to convey? A throwback to the 1970’s version of high-tech? Are they trying to join this logo with the introduction of organic foods and a “Walmart is green” campaign? That would at least tie the energy burst with the blue, since blue is the new green. But without any further explanation from Walmart, it just isn’t clear. Which means that the logo, in and of itself, isn’t working.

I don’t know if they did any user testing to a sense if they were hitting the right message and emotional cues. But on it’s own the logo is just too vague. This is a good reminder that all elements in a brand need to be tied together. If Walmart is attempting to reposition itself asa green vendor, and using the logo to convey this, then it needs to be accompanied with some messaging and focus on their environmental policies and practices. If it’s mant to go along with the campaign of “Spend less, live more” then it fails to communicate that.

The point is “who knows?” This isn’t a bad question, if you’ve put out something as intriguing as the Nike swoosh. But the starburst is too blah to make me excited about discovering more about it.

So, it’s a lot of money Walmart is spending to induce a fairly big yawn in the market.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Five Rules for Naming Your Brand

If you are just creating or re-inventing your company identity, you’re probably thinking about your brand, company or product name. It can be a daunting decision, and everyone, including your cat, will have an opinion. Here are five rules to help you be successful.

1. Choose a name that conveys a sense of benefit and value to your customers. My colleague Michael Thompson named his company Market Accelerators. Wow! Lots of energy and you know they’re really going to help you succeed quickly! It’s always tempting, and satisfying to the ego, to name your company after yourself, e.g. The Dan Berne Group. The problem is that no one, besides you, knows what it means. Is Tom Jones and Associatesa civil engineering firm or a medical practice? If you do have your name as the primary title of the business, then try to use a tag line to convey what it is you offer. In the Portland area, Lili Pang and Chris Hansen teamed up to form PANGHANSEN. But just below their combined name, they’ve added “creative group.” So there you get the sense that they are a design firm.

2. Convey a sense of stability. Customers and retailers like to know that they are dealing with someone who’s not totally new. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard famously named their first product, an audio oscillator built in their Palo Alto garage, the Model 200A (versus the 100). Even though it was the very first one, they wanted to create the impression that the product, and their brand new company, had been around for awhile. It worked! Walt Disney purchased the product and the birth of Silicon Valley began.

3. Try to avoid acronyms. Yes, historically high-tech comapnies have used them, but in today’s market, how will an acronym help you stand out? Use complete nouns and verbs to give a better sense of the value and to pack an emotional punch. Again, try to communicate your benefit and value, and what makes you different from the competition.

4. Put energy and emotion into your name and logo. Your customers and sellers want to know how you are going to benefitt them. What is the emotional message you want to convey to your customers and retailers? What do you stand for?  Are you professional and serious or fun and irreverent? The shape, colors, size and placement of characters all convey a visual statement. Think Nike swoosh.

5. Protect your name legally. You have, of course, researched your name and are sure that it is not infringing on other names and trademarks. Talk with an experienced trademark and IP attorney. In the age of the internet, this is more important than ever.

Popularity: 44% [?]