How does “United States of Awesome” translate to the Portuguese, I wonder?
Promoting Brand USA: America’s New ‘Awesome’ Global Positioning
America’s got a new plan of attack when it comes to marketing itself around the world. Going forward, the country will base communications around the idea that this is the “United States of Awesome Possibilities.”
The USA has a marketing plan? Does that seem…odd?
As far as I can tell, it’s not the gummint doing it – it’s something called the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP), which:
…this summer hired JWT to handle a global marketing campaign and is worked with branding firm The Brand Union to create a logo for Brand U.S.A.
Brand USA!
At a time when America’s economy has been sagging, the goal of this group is to promote leisure and business travel in order to drive economic growth and job creation.
I know local governments and states do tourism marketing. It’s still a little odd to think of the nation doing it.
And why?
…Pew Studies in recent years have shown America’s image declining…
What? Even with President Obama in office?
…not just in parts of the world where anti-Americanism runs rampant, such as the Middle East, but also in Latin America and in Europe. And you could say that in light of movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the country’s image problem isn’t just abroad but in its own backyard too.
Ooh, good point. Those Occupiers, they’re not exactly a selling point. Might as well try to lure global travelers to a Detroit slum.
It’s also a little at odds with another part of the whole marketing package:
The campaign also features a website that gives foreign travellers some useful tips about American life and culture.
For example:
“Be aware that Americans are fanatics about showering and hygiene.”
Yeah, once the overseas tourism markets get a load of the Occupiers, we could be on the hook for false advertising.
As always, this kind of thing makes me wonder if my tax dollars are supporting it. And, yes, Smitty, we know: there’s no Constitutional authority for it. The 10th Amendment would seem to forbid it. Luckily, the story says:
The non-profit group — which has secured an enviable marketing budget of $200 million – is planning to launch a worldwide push in March, which it calls “the first-ever coordinated global marketing effort dedicated to welcoming international travelers to the United States.”
A non-profit with a $200 million advertising budget. Hm. My hackles seem to be up.
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