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The ‘most patriotic’ brands in America are…

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Brand Keys 24th annual “Most Patriotic Brands” study is a survey of the 50 brands that consumers feel best meet today’s “patriotism challenge.”

Four retailers cracked the top 10 in a survey of the 50 for-profit brands that consumers feel best meet today’s “patriotism challenge.”

Levi Strauss & Co., took the fourth spot in Brand Keys 24th annual “Most Patriotic Brands” survey. Walmart came in sixth, with Amazon and Ralph Lauren taking the ninth and 10th spots respectively. (See end of article for complete list of all 50 brands.) Jeep took the top spot in the ranking, followed by Ford and Coca-Cola.

Several brands made their first appearance on the list this year, including Jersey Mike’s Subs (#38), Trader Joe’s (#44) and Dick’s Sporting Goods (#50).

“With consumers viewing everything through a political lens, the value of patriotism is more important than ever,” said Robert Passikoff, president of brand loyalty research firm Brand Keys. “A brand that truly resonates the value ‘patriotism,’ taps into a deep well of shared identity, cultural pride, and collective values that significantly strengthen consumer loyalty and positive brand behavior.”

The list is not mean to suggest other brands are not patriotic or don’t possess patriotic resonance or intent, noted Passikoff. 

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"But how brands are ultimately seen – on all values, by all consumers – is more complicated, more exacting, and more partisan today," he said. "It takes more than fireworks, wrapping your brand in the flag, or blowout 4th of July sales to meaningfully connect brands and patriotism."

Brands “out-patriot” the government 

Consumers rated the brands on this year’s Top 50 list higher for patriotism than the government and both political parties.

The average “patriotism score” for the top 50 brands in this year’s Most Patriotic list was 76%, while the office of the president (no name attached) rated 37%. The Democratic National Committee had a rating of 29%, followed by the Senate (28%), the House of Representatives (25%) and the Republican National Committee (22%).

“Respondents rated brands as more patriotic than political entities because brands often market themselves as serving everyone, whereas Congress and political parties are today associated with division, partisanship, and gridlock, which can seem unpatriotic or self-serving,” said Passikoff.

In other findings, consumers care more about patriotism this year, with 85% (+5) rating patriotism as “extremely” (45%) or “very” (40%) important. Ten percent (10%) thought it “somewhat” important. Only 5% said it was “not very/not at all” important. 

Methodology

To determine national brand rankings, a sample of 7,460 consumers, 18 to 65 years of age — balanced for gender and political affiliation — assessed 1,350 brands in 140 business-to-business, business-to-business and direct-to-consumer categories. Psychological and higher-order statistical analyses were used to isolate and quantify the single value of “patriotism.” These metrics were independently validated to correlate highly with sales and profits.

BrandKey's Top 50 "Most Patriotic" Brands

The following brands were identified by consumers as best meeting today’s patriotism challenge (#’s in parentheses represent year over year changes in rank):

1. Jeep (--)

2. Ford (--)

3. Coca-Cola (+1)

4. Levi Strauss (-1)

5. Apple (+3)

6. Walmart (--)

7. Disney (-2)

8. Harley Davidson (-1)

9. Amazon (+1)

10. Ralph Lauren (+2)

11. Jack Daniels (-2)

12. Nike (+10)

13. Hershey’s (-2)

14. Dunkin’ (--)

15. McDonald’s (+10)

16. Wrangler (-3)

17. American Express (-2)

18. Colgate (-2)

19. Pepsi Cola (+3)

20. NFL (+9)

21. NBA (+9)

22. Home Depot (+27)

23. John Deere (+15)

24. Weather Tech (+2)

25. AT&T (+12)

26. Fox News (-3)

27. Kellogg’s (-6)

28. Gillette (+4)

29. Wilson’s Sporting Goods (+7)

30. L.L. Bean (+3)

31. MSNBC (-13)

32. Gatorade (+3)

33. Kraft Heinz (+7)

34. KFC (+5)

35. Macy’s (+6)

36. USAA (+10)

37. Target (-3)

38. Jersey Mike’s Subs (NEW)

39. MLB (-9)

40. New Balance (-13)

41. Ball Park Franks (Tyson, NEW)

42. Converse (+3)

43. Costco (--)

44. Trader Joe’s (NEW)

45. Revlon (+4)

46. Weber Grills (+2)

47. Campbell’s (NEW)

48. GM (NEW)

49. Whirlpool (NEW)

50. Dick’s Sporting Goods (NEW)

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