Three retailers cracked the top 10 in a survey of the 50 American brands that consumers feel best embody the value of “patriotism.”
Levi Strauss & Co., took the third spot in Brand Keys 23rd annual “Most Patriotic Brands” survey. Walmart came in sixth, with Amazon taking the 10th spot. (See end of article for complete list of all 50 brands.)
Jeep ranked #1, with Ford, Coca-Cola, Disney, Harley Davidson and Jack Daniels also ranking in the top ten of the patriotism parade. Consumers added 10 new brands to the top 50 most patriotic brands. Those include Mattel (Barbie), Calvin Klein, Target, Heinz, American Eagle Outfitters, Hanes, Converse, Oreos (Mondelez), Revlon, and Home Depot.
“Consumers now view everything through a political lens, so the value of patriotism is more important than ever,” noted Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, the New York-based brand loyalty and engagement research firm that conducts the annual survey.
Eighty percent (up 9% year over year) felt patriotism was “extremely” (41%) or “very” (39%) important. Fifteen percent thought it was “somewhat” important. Only 5% said it was “not very/not at all” important.
“As a brand value, ‘patriotism’ provides tangible economic advantages,” said Passikoff. “Brands that engage via ‘patriotism’ always see better behavior, better ROMI, and better bottom lines. Usually six times better.”
To determine national brand rankings, a sample of 7,460 consumers, 18 to 65 years of age, balanced for gender and political affiliation, assessed 1,381 brands in 143 B2C, B2B and D2C categories.
Evaluations were based on Brand Keys independently validated emotional engagement measures, which identify how well brands resonate for the value of “patriotism.”
The following brands were identified in the Brand Keys survey at best meeting today’s patriotism challenge:
1. Jeep
2. Ford
3. Levi Strauss
4. Coca-Cola
5. Disney
6. Walmart
7. Harley Davidson
8. Apple
9. Jack Daniels
10. Amazon
11. Hershey’s
12. Ralph Lauren
13. Wrangler
14. Dunkin’
15. American Express
16. Colgate
17. MSNBC
18. Mattel (Barbie) (New)
19. Old Navy
20. Domino’s
21. Kellogg’s
22. Nike
23. FOX News
24. Pepsi-Cola
25. McDonald’s
26. WeatherTech
27. New Balance
28. Calvin Klein (New)
29. NFL
30. MLB
31. NBA
32. Gillette
33. L.L. Bean
34. Target (New)
35. Gatorade
36. Wilson Sporting Goods
37. AT&T
38. John Deere
39. KFC
40. Heinz (New)
41. Macy’s
42. American Eagle Outfitters (New)
43. Costco
44. Hanes (New)
45. Converse (New)
46. USAA
47. Oreos (Mondelez) (New)
48. Weber Grills
49. Revlon (New)
50. Home Depot (New)
“These brand rankings do not mean to suggest that other brands are not patriotic or don’t possess patriotic resonance or intent,” said Passikoff. "But how brands are ultimately seen – on all values, by all consumers – is complicated, more exacting, more political, and more partisan. Marketers need to do value-specific drill downs like this one. And, as it concerns 'patriotism' specifically, it takes more than fireworks, wrapping your brand in the flag, or weekend holiday sales. But if you can meaningfully connect to the value of 'patriotism,' consumers don’t just stand up and salute, they stand up and buy!”