Building an All-American Brand

If you own a business, or do marketing for one, you likely are looking to sell your brand not only locally, but in the global marketplace. For better or for worse, taking your brand online gives it the potential for worldwide customers. And, in this day and age, just about every business in the U.S. has an online presence, even if it still exists as a true brick-and-mortar business.

Why construct a brand?

It’s crucial that you build a brand for your business. Your “brand” encompasses everything about how your business is perceived by its customers. It’s not just having a snappy-looking logo or catchy slogan. Your business’ brand is what promotes recognition and association, lets customers and potential customers understand what your business stands for, generates referrals, helps you and your staff stay focused on your business’ strategy and provides value.

Your brand is encompassed by each interaction a customer has with your business, from the moment that customer visits your business, views your website or calls on the phone to the conclusion of the transaction —  the goal, of course, is that the start-to-finish experience with your brand will have been so positive that the customer becomes a repeat customer, and also a source of referral to others.

The significance of patriotism in branding

It’s been established that consumers have national pride, and that pride is reflected in their buying decisions. Especially before and after the Olympics and around holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Presidents Day and Columbus Day, brands capitalize on Americans’ nostalgia and U.S. pride by selling items with American flags or American flag-themed designs or using popular Olympic athletes to promote their merchandise.

In a recent Forbes story, the example is provided of the dollar bill as a brand. The Federal Reserve is the owner of the brand, which is known and valued worldwide. It carries testimony from the most recognizable American there is, George Washington, and it states the message “In God We Trust”, which tugs at the user’s loyalties. A dollar bill is more than just currency; it has value as a brand that represents the United States and it’s as ubiquitous as the American flag, itself.

Especially when the American economy is suffering and people feel the pain of unemployment either in their own lives, in the lives of people they know or simply from seeing stories about it on the news each day, Americans put a real value on knowing that what they buy was made by a company that is giving Americans jobs. Each time you see a product label that says “Made in the USA”, on some level you’re recognizing the fact that whatever company made this item is keeping people employed on our home soil. Studies have shown that if all else is equal, a majority of Americans will choose an American-manufactured item over one from overseas if they’re aware of the distinction.

How to “Americanize” your brand

So, you see the value in expressing patriotism in your brand and products, but if you’re not manufacturing American currency, American flags or George Washington-style wigs, how do you accomplish this? For one thing, you can not only demonstrate that your products are made in America, but tell consumers that your products are made here. That’s as simple as an “About Us” on your website or an insert in your packaging. Don’t assume that people are reading every label or that they are going to actively seek this information. Most of them aren’t and won’t. But, if it’s included as part of the product or company description, it’s an added incentive to purchase your product.

Also, don’t be shy about being specific in your marketing efforts. Roberto Torres, president of men’s clothing retailer Black & Denim, told Entrepreneur that his company’s support of American jobs through suppliers that make everything from zippers to patches is evident when he talks to retailers. He lets them know that his company is helping keep jobs in this country. “We … talk to our stores about the impact that one American job has on the economy,” he said. “We market [the fact that we’re helping job growth] in the hopes that [the retailers] can become advocates for our cause.”

Be creative. Does your packaging include an organic substance raised on a farm in Texas? Well, by all means, tell the consumer about it! Are you selling a product for which the idea was borne from a need of workers on oil derricks in North Dakota? These are things that you want to market to the best of your ability, because that’s what drives home the concept that your company, your brand, your product is patriotic. And that’s what the U.S. consumer wants to see.

The world is shrinking every day, but your brand doesn’t have to. Part of being a successful businessperson is taking what you have and using it to your best advantage; if you own an American-based business, regardless of size, not using that fact as part of your brand could be missing out on an opportunity. The next time you gaze out the window at an American flag flying high on its flag pole, consider what that means to you. Then remember that it means something to your customers, too, and work it into your brand in the strongest, most effective way possible.