Walmart to media: lose the squiggly
Filed under: Shopping, Relationships
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wants its actual, physical stores to be known as Walmart. The change, it seems was implemented a year ago but has gone pretty much ignored by the media, present company included. So, yesterday Wal-Mart, the company, issued a friendly reminder at the end of an earnings statement. Here's how it's supposed to go: References to Wal-Mart the global company retain the hyphen while mentions of Walmart stores do not. It's such a small thing but part of the company's campaign to modernize the name and image with a new logo and remodeled stores. Wal-Mart is smartly using the bad economy to attract new customers and implement the changes needed to retain them when things get better.
Shoppers turn to stores like Walmart and the dollar store chains when money is tight. But a return to financial good health usually means a return to shopping at higher priced stores, especially for things like housewares, apparel and other extraneous items. By carving out a more, um, sophisticated image, bringing in better merchandise, cleaning up and decluttering stores, Wal-Mart hopes to keep these new customers even when their paychecks get fatter.
News media are very much creatures of habit. Adapting to new things like how to spell a corporate name is much more difficult than it should be. It's the rare copy editor who lets HP go by without a ridiculous amount of back and forth about how it should be spelled out -- Hewlett Packard -- never mind the actual company's preference of HP.
But we'll adapt, I suppose. I just wonder what's going to happen to the infamous Wal-Mart cheer. The chant, which starts with "Give me a W," has a fun little move in the middle. When they get to the hyphen there's a "Give me a squiggly!" and everyone does a variation of the twist, lowering down to the ground and back again. It's a shame to see that move retired.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-15-2009 @ 9:17AM
Jessica said...
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8-16-2009 @ 10:43AM
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8-15-2009 @ 9:29AM
Peter said...
This proves yet again what Shakespeare said: "A rose by any other name..." Despite Wall-Mart's attempts to change their image, I still won't shop there since they have undermined vast amounts of smaller businesses--both manufacturers and retailers--with their pricing practices. Wonder why the authoress of the article used "Wallmart" one time in her story?
Still disappointed that "Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship"--a college organization with a phenomenal book publishing arm--became "InterVarsity Christian Fellowship." I quit eating at Kentucky Fried Chicken when they changed their name to "KFC." Still call "Northwest Airlines" by its full name: "Northwest Orient Airlines." And hooray for Jimmy Fallon for using "the National Broadcasting Company" in his opening each night! Wish folks at the "Columbia Broadcasting System" and the "American Broadcasting Company" would follow suit. And I always write checks to "Sears, Roebuck," and "R. H. Macy's Department Store."
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8-16-2009 @ 12:07AM
jason said...
way to try to make a point about proper names and manage to spell the company name wrong twice.
8-15-2009 @ 9:22PM
Able Stilskim said...
LOL, Walmart ROCKS dude and you know it!
RT
www.online-anonymity.net.tc
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8-15-2009 @ 9:42PM
Bud said...
That Peter is a dumass. You sure show them.
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8-15-2009 @ 9:58PM
Peter said...
Walmart should be more concerned that their new logo is actually a fairly accurate depiction of an asshole ala Kurt Vonnegut.
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8-15-2009 @ 10:27PM
Phillip said...
Note to Wal-Mart/Walmart - make up your mind what you're called - one way or the other. Both is absurd.
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8-15-2009 @ 10:37PM
Dwight Stegall said...
As greedy as Wally World is they should be happy anyone mentions them at all. I have seen items in their Electronics Department that were 4 times cheaper at Best Buy.
But I'm happy to say their clothes are cheaper.
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8-16-2009 @ 1:38AM
bree said...
Anyone who says "It's a shame to see that move retired." about the "squiggly" in the Walmart cheer has never had to do it at 8am after working till 11 the previous night.
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8-16-2009 @ 8:06AM
SLEZE said...
So what is the big deal if Wal-mart is referred to as Walmart or Wal+mart? I think the confusion over Wal~mart's name only exists in the mind of Wal_mart. I have never experienced any issues over the name and I bet most consumers don't give a crap.
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8-16-2009 @ 8:45AM
Six said...
This announcement still wont change the way my mom refers to the store with an "s" on the end of it at all times. "I'm going to Walmarts to buy some pills" (unless "K-marts" has it on sale)
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