Consumers might not care that your product is wrapped in the flag
by David Bohan, CEO BOHAN Advertising
Red state or blue state, many advertisers wrap themselves in the red, white and blue to lure customers—but is it a sure-fire marketing strategy?
Car dealerships, possibly even some that sell cars made in Asia or whose headquarters are there, proudly wave giant American flags, and furniture retailers work hard to convince us a three-day weekend shopping experience is a patriotic act.
For some companies, waving the flag in their advertising and promotional efforts comes naturally.
Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor, launched a campaign that might have been mistaken for an armed forces recruiting effort. Johnson & Wales professor Mark Brand commented, “Whether you are a supporter of the war or not, you are supportive of the men and women in uniform.”
The fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger has always shown its colors. An “Earn your stripes and be a star” contest urged aspiring filmmakers to submit videos demonstrating what the American flag meant to them.
Despite all this, recent studies might suggest advertisers re-think the Americanization of their brands.
Yankelovich Partners, a Chapel Hill, N.C.-based research firm, studied brands that expressed themselves as American. The results: Consumers don’t seem to care. Yankelovich also found that the notion of being American is not a factor when it comes to evaluating performance.
Anderson Analytics discovered that—especially among college-age consumers—a product’s country of origin usually is unknown; it’s also not a factor in the buying decision. Many younger, educated consumers are cynical of patriotic trappings. Some flag-draped promotions are seen as heavy-handed or outdated.
Jupiter Research reports that as consumers age, value for quality becomes a significant concern. At that point, geographic association plays a greater role in purchase decision-making.
Consider the difference between two advertising offerings from Chevrolet and Saturn, both of which are General Motors products.
Chevrolet Silverado trucks use the “ Our Country, Our Truck” theme that features music from baby-boomer rocker John Mellencamp. This GM campaign is designed to appeal to older buyers. The message is aimed at those of us who were raised with the “us -versus-them” mentality of the 1950s and 1960s.
Saturn, on the other hand, takes a different approach with its “Rethink American” campaign. Here, GM wants younger audiences to change their thinking that rates the quality of Japanese products very highly. One ad goes as far as to say, “Don’t buy it because it’s American. Buy it because it’s amazing.”
The definition of the country of origin for brands continues to change. Consider these factors: American companies have a global presence; foreign-based brands have significant U.S. facilities and American employees; and the Internet makes international borders disappear. All of this makes a product’s country of origin seem less relevant.
Nissan, Bridgestone and Toshiba are significant to Middle Tennessee. Mention those companies, a few of us think first of their Japanese parent companies. And not many of us would blink an eye if a local Nissan dealer offered Memorial Day specials.
Tags: david bohan patriotism marketing patriotic flag consume
