Brand America
Amazingly, the US is one of the only major countries in the world that does not have an official government tourism board. As a country brand, the US has no formal identity and no formal call to action to lure travelers and to help drive the economy. America as an entity has long reaped the rewards of state and city tourism campaigns, but no clear Brand America has ever been established within the tourism industry, or for any other purpose. With its performance in decline and its governmental leadership put to a vote this presidential year, shaping public opinion with the aid of a strong American image and brand are more important than ever, both at home and on the global stage.
Brand America continues to be a powerful but polarizing country brand. In 2008, the United States dropped one spot to #3 in our Top Country Brand ranking. This year, significantly fewer people prefer the US and fewer visitors would recommend it as a destination to family, friends and colleagues.
| The us has seen a noteworthy decline across many key drivers of the customer mindset | Notably, the US is not in the top 10 in these critical categories | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 RANKINGS | 2008 RANKINGS | CHANGE 2008 vs. 2007 |
2008 RANKINGS |
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| #1 | #2 | EASIEST TO DO BUSINESS IN | +6.8% | FAMILIARITY | #14 | STANDARD OF LIVING |
| #1 | #6 | EXTEND A BUSINESS TRIP | -4.5% | PREFERENCE | #19 | POLITICAL FREEDOM |
| #1 | #2 | CONFERENCES | +3.1% | CONSIDERATION | #45 | SAFETY |
| #2 | #5 | NIGHTLIFE | +9.8% | VISITATION | #62 | ENVIRONMENTALISM |
| #4 | #8 | FAMILIES | -7.2% | ADVOCACY | ||
| #5 | #8 | OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES & SPORTS | ||||
| #6 | #7 | MOST LIKE TO LIVE IN | ||||
FutureBrand created a Brand America Student Design Contest to encourage debate and discussion on just what the US brand should mean. We asked students to create a brand to represent the entire country, with all its contradictions, complications and complexities.