Intro of Walmart logo shows lukewarm brand management

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.

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