Industry Trends

Marketing the New American Reality

How brands are marketing cultural shifts
By Blair Cook

Lately we have been pondering what defines the American experience: the trials, privileges, excesses, challenges and responsibilities that come with being a citizen of what is historically one of the most affluent nations. However, in the last year, at times it has seemed that we are anything but a world superpower. Recession, job loss, hardship and struggle have been more appropriate descriptors of what many Americans are facing rather than excess and consumption. How does marketing and advertising keep pace with this shift in the American mindset from desiring luxuries to just basic necessities?

Where do the hardships of this new, tougher reality manifest themselves? Often these cultural undercurrents are expressed through forms of media. Most Americans' perceptions of not only themselves, but of their country, are influenced by pop culture. Advertising and marketing have a distinct ability to shape trends that affect large swaths of society. Today, brands are addressing the current American experience and realigning with the reality of a reformed American culture and economy. We are seeing brands shift from unbridled consumerism to appeal to values, heritage and tradition.

Levi's is a prevalent example of how brands are confronting consumers with the new reality. Levi's "Go Forth campaign" appeared earlier this year and has only intensified - with television spots being joined by print advertising, viral campaigns and unconventional tactics. Premiering with a video accompanied by what is believed to be an original audio recording of Walt Whitman's America, "Go Forth" is a testament to the marketer's acknowledgment that marketing and advertising have to adapt to America's new perception of itself. That perception of a nation of strong individuals, who know how to overcome trying times, reinforces the Levi's brand promise of a tough, quality product that will stand the test of time.

This perception of America's economic and cultural reality is more rooted in the past than ever before. Brands like Allstate, Coleman and Levi's are emphasizing that it's the little things in life that matter most. What we are seeing is an acknowledgment that we want off the treadmill - acceptance of a simpler time. Americans will always yearn for success, but perhaps how we measure that success has been forever realigned through today's American economic reality.

Contact Nereus to learn how we can help you market your brand to reflect your company's values and tradition, and speak to your audiences' economic reality.