Small Biz: Change Your Logo Like Wal-Mart?

"It's smoother and softer," says Charles Fishman, editor-at-large of Fast Company magazine and author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works -- And How It's Transforming the American Economy.

"The company is trying to promote sustainability, and the yellow burst conjures up the idea of the sun, even if it's very subtle."

Fishman points to the company's new slogan -- "Save Money. Live Better" -- as an even more significant signal of change, compared to the previous slogan, "Always Low Prices."

"It's quite on point," he says. "It's a pretty good way to convey in four words what the company is trying to do."

And what is that exactly? Wal-Mart -- like many companies, big and small -- wants to connect emotionally with its customers.

For years, Wal-Mart has inspired plenty of emotions, from fear that the behemoth was destroying small towns to anger at the perceived abuse of low-paid associates. What the company is after now is that warm-and-fuzzy feeling that keeps shoppers loyal because they believe in the store's values and mission.

That's meant making huge changes throughout the company. And so far, the company has plenty to be proud of. Offering $4 prescriptions has allowed cash-strapped seniors to afford their medications. The company's green initiatives, including everything from more efficient packaging to investing in solar power, have saved massive amounts of energy. And its power to educate shoppers about sustainability has been just as important: in one year, the company doubled the U.S. market for compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

"No one is shopping at Wal-Mart because of the logo," says Fishman. "The real core project is to change how they're perceived. By behaving differently, the company can reposition itself in the minds of consumers, and the new logo will be part of that hoped-for new image."