Is the US Brand Broken?

24Jul07

Is the United States brand broken? Businesses have long realized the importance of branding. A stellar brand solidifies an emotion in the mind of the consumer. As Al & Laura Ries say, “What’s your brand? If you can’t answer that question about your own brand in two or three words, your brand’s in trouble.”

A recent article in the Washington Post suggests that “since the U.S. military invaded Iraq in 2003, its “show of force” brand has proved to have limited appeal to Iraqi consumers, according to a recent study commissioned by the U.S. military.”

The article sites cultural differences (specifically the use of the University of Texas “hook ‘em horns” representing the “sign of the devil” in some cultures), the confusing connotations of specific words (like “jihad”) and the current attitude of U.S. military and civilian authorities who “think[ing] of themselves as a ‘good idea’ factory whose every thought has greater merit than those of their customers.”

Other bloggers are noticing the failure of the U.S. brand. The Buzz Bin posted how when researching for a patriotic July 4^th post “the problem I encountered was almost every place I looked, America is branded as the land of dumb, overweight, selfish, insolent people.”

So it’s apparent that the U.S. is in need of an image makeover. But where to start?

We could start with the logo – our flag. Although this iconic fabric is fraught with symbolism, it may benefit from an image overhaul as it is a strong catalyst for controversy. For example, according to an April 7, 2006 article in the North Country Gazette,

“Based on a ruling by Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, Commissioner of Education William Moloney has advised all school superintendents they are prohibited by law from banning students from reasonably displaying the United States flag on their person or property…School administration banned virtually all displays of patriotism, including the American flag, because they said that the displays were inflaming the immigration debate among students.”

Next, we could alter the jingle – our anthem. To many, the words “and the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air” perpetuate the perception that America is a culture of violence. Suggestions for change range from “God Bless America” to Lynard Skynard’s “Freebird”

Finally, we could solidify a tagline. We could use an existing phrase such as, “Land of the free and home of the brave”, “The land of opportunity” or “the Melting Pot” – or we could get creative and invent a new one.

So would changing these basic elements re-define America’s brand?

Would changing our flag to a universal symbol of peace and happiness (like a dove, olive branch, or yellow smiley face) give the world the impression that America is not a “forceful” nation, but rather a country that values innovation, collaboration and diversity?

Would altering our anthem to “America the Beautiful” with its non-controversial lyrics help remedy America’s brand problem?

Would creating a new tagline such as “America: we really are nice people” send citizens of other countries the “warm and fuzzies”?

As with any brand – changing these elements alone is not enough. As Ron Gossen and Alisha Gresham said in their book, Brand Papers, “Nothing is surer to prevent successful brand exploitation than a toxic corporate culture that cannot deliver a consistent brand promise.” In other words – culture is the source of a brand. We can change the symbols, jingles and taglines but that won’t change the brand.

Filed under: Branding, Marketing   |  1 Comment
Tags: Branding, United States brand