Brand Trends - City, State & Country Naming
By Chuck Pettis
Summaries of brand trends as reported by
leading publications covering the branding field.
City, State, and Country Branding - December, 2002 to March, 2005
Country Branding "Damn Americans"
BRANDWEEK Magazine, May 17, 2004 "America
is the most branded country in the world. America's logo, the flag, is
not only in every government building, but used in company names, and
worn as clothing. Sadly, the American brand is fast losing "brand equity."
A poll by NOPWorld found that the only attributes that scored more highly
by foreigners in 2004 than in 1999 were "arrogance" and "elitism." "Wealth"
and "power" were the top two values associated with America. Because trust
in American brands is declining, many companies now use local branding
strategies that position their brands as domestic products.
A poll by the Business
for Diplomatic Action found that foreigners think Americans: don't
listen; are arrogant; are ignorant of other cultures; don't pay attention;
don't read; and are loud.
"Bush-Appointed Panel Finds U.S. Image Abroad Is in Peril
The New York Times, October 1, 2003" " A report entitled "Changing
Minds, Winning Peace," says that the U.S.'s image has plummeted among
Muslims and Arabs abroad and there is widespread hostility toward Americans.
The report recommends and outlines a number of strategic recommendations."
"Money Woes Bring Uncertainty to Brand
Oregon
Puget Sound Business Journal, January 7-13, 2005" " Brand Oregon,
initiated by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, is an ad campaign designed to
create a brand for Oregon and its businesses. The campaign is called:
"Oregon. We love Dreamers."
Brand Oregon currently focuses on four campaign areas: business recruitment,
the promotion of Oregon agricultural products (e.g., wine), promotion
of Oregon seafood, and Oregon tourism.
The Brand Oregon campaign is credited with contributing to increased
sales of Oregon seafood in grocery stores and up to a 40% increase in
winery visits. "
"Market
Review: Brand Name Cities
TheDailyReckoning.com, March 20, 2005" " Historically, many cities
started as places for unemployed farmers to find work in a factory. Today,
most large cities have become brand names in their own right, projecting
a certain image of style, lifestyle, and class, thus becoming status symbols
for those who live and move there.
Living in the most desirable cities is not cheap. The top cities command
a "premium price," especially for Americans traveling with a weak dollar.
Here is the Top-12 list of the most expensive cities from Mercer
Human Resource Consulting's Cost of Living Survey for 2004.
- Tokyo, Japan
- London, UK
- Moscow, Russia
- Osaka, Japan
- Hong Kong
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Seoul, South Korea
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Zurich, Switzerland
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Beijing, China
- New York City, USA
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