Rebuilding Brand America: What We Must Do to Restore Our Reputation and Safeguard the Future of American Business Abroad – Dick Martin; AMACOM; 1601 Broadway, NY, NY 10019; www.amacombooks.org; January 2007, 287 p, $$27.95
Reviewed by G.A. “Andy” Marken
President
Marken Communications Inc.
andy@markencom.com
Frankly, just reading the title of Martin’s book – Rebuilding Brand America – you’ve already formed an opinion that runs the gamut:
- Are you out of your mind?
- That’s like pushing a chain uphill?
- Hey…it’s not my problem?
- What brand America problem?
Translation?
If you’re in business communications; there’s a lot between the covers of his book to agree with, disagree with, learn from, discard and by the time you close the book give you some ideas that might help your company…not your American company but your company.
If you’re in governmental communications; you’ve got a lot of work to do.
First of all we disagree slightly with Martin’s basic premise in the book that our business – any business – is “American” or “French” or “Dutch” or “Japanese” or “Indian” or any specific country.
Unless you have America, American or U.S. in your firm’s name (such as Martin’s career employer AT&T); you most likely look and think global. If your management is smart they act local. For example:
- Nokia – headquartered in Finland with design, manufacturing, sales/support activities around the globe
- Panasonic – (actually Matsushita) headquartered in Japan with a global brand presence
- Alcatel – headquartered in France with global presence, products
- GE – US-based with global operations, activities, support
- Cisco – US-based with networking and CE products everywhere
- Corel – Canada-based with software in major languages and offices everywhere
- McDonald’s – US-based with operations on every other corner and tailored meal offerings
- HP – US-based with a product/service footprint everywhere
- Philips – Holland-based but tailored products/services
- Toyota – Japan-based with facilities, products, people in every country
- Wal-Mart – US-based with buying/selling tentacles around the globe
Is there an Anti-American brand issue?
You may well be reluctant to pick up and read Rebuilding Brand America because you’ll simply read the title and say “yes it is a problem.”
But it is not your business problem.
Please don’t do that. If you do you’ll sell some excellent research and analysis short. More importantly, you’ll miss what we like to call the “ah ha” moments.
Anti-American – and for that matter anti-anywhere – sentiments have existed for centuries but with the Internet spanning the globe the problems, issues and opinions have never traveled so rapidly and been so visible.
But that doesn’t mean you should simply throw up your hands in despair and think that Martin’s effort was a waste of good trees. His findings can help your organization and you communicate more efficiently and more effectively. And along the way it can help your company have an impact on national, regional and local policy and even improve America’s image (even if your headquarters is based in another country).
Businesses today depend on global partnerships, global customers. Your business doesn’t stop at some arbitrary line called a country border. While governmental action or inaction may affect your relations in other countries and with other people, the flip side of that is also true…your actions can affect what government(s) do and how they think/perform.
Martin very succinctly points out that U.S.-based companies and communications people focus their efforts on communicating at others rather than understanding them. He illustrates the point by discussing how the State Department’s appointment of Charlotte Beers to “sell” democracy failed. He emphasizes that most private, business and government al efforts fall short because of a fundamental lack of understanding of our foreign audience.
He reinforces how successful companies succeed by sinking roots in the areas by adapting to the local cultures, customs and business practices. He provides detailed examples of how organizations succeed by understanding and sharing local values and concerns. He discusses how communications people can help make a brand succeed by attaching them to the customers’ attitudes and aspirations.
Strong localization has helped firms escape the wrath of anti-American sentiment in many instances but as Martin points out this is side-stepping the key issue rather than working with other business/communications executives to effect American policy and programs.
Since history has shown that isolationism doesn’t work, the author ventures into a tender arena by presenting his 10-point prescription for political reform. We understand and appreciate his frustration on the core issues and his effort to spell out an action plan that will help change policy, not just perception.
Branding and public relations should be a two-way communications effort but it is a difficult sell on a broad front…especially when politics and expedience often overrule 1:1 relationships.
There is an old saying that goes something like “by your actions you will be known.” That isn’t achieved as a branding or public relations effort. It is built one brick, on action, one relationship at a time.
As Martin emphasizes curing the anti-American sentiment can not be dictated, can not be legislated. It can only be achieved by plans, programs, efforts and actions carried out with the company’s various publics in each country, each national region.
If the American-based companies can achieve that individually and as a cooperative group, perhaps – just perhaps – they can affect governmental policy, programs, actions and image.
At least by reading Rebuilding Brand America you’ll have something to think about.
Rebuilding Brand America: What We Must Do to Restore Our Reputation and Safeguard the Future of American Business Abroad - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
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