The most visible change to the UPS logo is the removal of the bow-tied parcel that appears atop the shield. Ironically, even though the small bow had become one of the most recognized features of the company's logo, packages with string have not been accepted by UPS for several decades because the string can get caught in high-speed sorting machinery.
The company also will change the name outside its headquarters to the abbreviated UPS, though it will remain incorporated as United Parcel Service.
UPS makes the vast majority of its $33 billion in annual revenue from small-package deliveries in the United States. But overseas shipments, finance and supply-chain management are growing, and that's where UPS believes its future lies.
To communicate the global reach and expanding capabilities of UPS, the phrase "Synchronizing the World of Commerce" will become part of the design of the company's aircraft and familiar brown package cars.
"We believe that 'synchronized commerce' is the next evolution of global commerce, where the three flows of trade – goods, information and funds – are seamlessly connected to benefit businesses worldwide," said chairman and CEO Mike Eskew.
