Wal*Mart gets a smiley face lift

A recent article in Advertising Age talks about Wal*Mart going through a bit of a subtle re-positioning, or at least beginning the process with a lifestyle oriented “freshen-up” of  its tag line.  It seems that after 19 years the famous tag line “Always low prices..always” often accompanied by the smiley face will be given a face lift of sorts. 

In its first big push from its new shop, Martin Agency, the Bentonville behemoth is scrapping its happy-face logo, which has been in use for 19 years, from its TV spots and trading in its “Always Low Prices” motto for a new one. The new tag-line, “Save Money. Live Better,” will be rolled out onto everything from receipts to shopping bags. Wal-Mart’s new tack signals a scaling back of recent attempts to go upscale, and marks a return to its traditional emphasis on low prices.

Many of you may have noticed their subtle shift over the last year or so as they apparently were trying to lure in a more upscale sophisticated shopper with trendier designer brands and a more polished approach to their advertising.  And if anyone in Bentonville is listening, here’s my problem with that.  

After indelibly etching the Wal*Mart brand in consumer’s brains as the low-cost leader they wanted to go after a more upscale shopper.  A shopper that probably loathes the Wal*Mart experience - if you could call it that.  A shopper that would gladly pay double what they just saved just to get out of the store and feel clean.  Literally and emotionally.   Let’s just say it.  Wal*Mart wants to be a Tar*Mart with Martha Stewart, Cindy Crawford, and HGTV on board as influential endorsers.  Can we say, “All things to all people.” 

Here’s the marketing conundrum, and I’ve argued this point many times with my academic friends.  Brands don’t position themselves…consumers do.  As sharp brand stewards and marketers we can establish what amounts to little more than guard rails to guide our consumer down a path.  But ultimately the consumer positions the brand in their mind based on their experience with the brand.  That experience includes the brand promise and whether it lives up to it.  It also includes all marketing communications, user and shopping experience, and price value equations just to name a few components.  And let me reiterate the consumer’s perception is the brand’s reality. 

Brand managers can sit around a room and look at positioning maps till they see spots; but we can only guide our brands, we can’t drive them to an ideal “sweet spot” .  So if Wal*Mart wants to be perceived differently it will take more than just a tag line change or a smiley face lift.  I guess if we end up with a few extra coins in our pocket because we shopped at Wal*Mart, our lives are supposed to be better.  In what way?

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.