BrandWatch by Michel Gutsatz

Walmart's green conversion … and its consequences

On the 24th of October 2005, Lee Scott, the CEO of Walmart, gave a speech that was a landmark signalling the shifting of the brand towards sustainable development: "21st century leadership". Placing it under the auspices of Sam Walton ("Walmart started out as an idea of one man, 43 years ago…”) he proposed, "to better define who we are in the world" and to assume its responsibilities as the "20th country of the world".

 

He then made the environment the main focal point: "as one of the largest companies in the world, environmental problems are OUR problems .. There are not two worlds out there, a Walmart world and some other world", and he fixed three objectives for Walmart:

1. To purchase supplies that were fully energy renewable

2. To generate zero wastage
3. To sell products that respected the environment and natural resources

What is Walmart two-and-a-half years down the line?

Wal-Mart: What a logo tells us …

It all began with Sam Walton, the man who gave his name to the leading worldwide distributor (Turnover: 374.5 billion $ in 2007, i.e., 3% of the GNP in the USA).

Sam Walton built a distribution chain based on a real vision of the world: a company deeply ingrained in the "community", with the will to give the middle-class American in rural America the access to consumer goods that those living in the large urban cities already enjoyed, and the promotion of family values: family, community, religion, patriotism ... and the Calvinistic values of thrift and savings.

 

This is reflected in the use of the colours of the American flag.

Sam Walton died in 1992: the logo was then altered to include a blue star. For Wal-Mart, this star is an emblem of the presence of its founder. It symbolizes his role as its guide. The logo also carried alongside the famous slogan, "Always Low Prices, Always" – the assertion of its positioning in terms of price that made it famous.

 

In 2008 the slogan and logo were altered again.

What does this change tell us concerning a brand for which symbolism is so present?

WalMart' s fascinating growth

I would like to share with you this video that gives us the measure of Walmart's strength and successful business model...

Téléchargement Wal1962-2004_nov_05.wmv