Wal-Mart And Kraft Use Logos To Soften Their Stories

In an effort to "soften" their image in the mind of the consumer, both Wal-Mart and Kraft have redesigned their logos. The old logos were both upper case, and gave consumers the impression of old world dominance and authority. In the world of corporate rebranding, it's now more important to appear friendly and approachable to consumers in an effort to suit the demands of an increasingly complex marketplace. To do this, major corporations will continue to rewrite their stories through the use of branding and visual design. 

When undergoing a change to logo design,the use of colour, image and typestyle can greatly strengthen the perception of a brand. The new Wal-Mart logo uses lower case letters and incorporates a bright yellow sun into the design. The tagline "Save money. Live better." addresses the need for consumers to adjust their lifestyle to reflect the changes brought out by the current recession. It seems that, through changes in their logo design, Wal-Mart wants to give the impression that they understand what we're going through. Instead of being the big bad guy on the block, they want to show that they're ready to be your friend in an unrelentingly difficult economy.

Kraft has taken a similar approach, and has dropped the old upper case hardened logo for a "softer" lower case version. It also incorporates a "smiley face" that explodes into a burst of colour. The word "foods" has been added to the logo, and the tagline "Make today delicious" addresses the ability of the brand to make us feel good - after all, in a world that's becoming increasingly complex,what food doesn't?

As someone who grew up in a consumer world riddled with corporate dominance, I find it interesting that large corporations are dropping their age-old need for dominance and are finally making changes that are geared towards changing consumer perception. I welcome the digital age where the choice of what you write - and how you write it - can have enormous implications in the world of consumer perception. The time has come for corporations to adapt to consumers, and create messages that we are willing to hear!

Which other companies use their logo to convey a positive consumer story? What is it in their logo that enables them to tell their story in that way?

Comments

[Custom Logo Design]

thanks for sharing.

[Karen Hegmann]

Thanks for your comment. I've always believed that academic knowledge could be used in the business world to help increase ROI. But first, it has to be adapted to everyday practical realities.

[logo design]

The good thing about your information is that it is explicit enough for students to grasp. Thanks for your efforts in spreading academic knowledge.