I thought designers and contest holders alike would be interested to read this article from the New York Times about corporate rebranding efforts in the face of a flailing economy. I think that these trends in logo design probably predate the economic troubles we've been facing, but the maybe the trends have gained more ground as a result. Of course, the idea of a good brand is one that transcends trends (or easily adapts to them), so I guess even corporate giants don't always get it right. Enjoy!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/weekinreview/31marsh.html