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The US is increasingly viewed as a "culture-free zone" inhabited by
arrogant and unfriendly people, according to study of 25 countries' brand reputations.
The findings, published online today, will add to concerns that anti-Americanism
is hurting companies whose products are considered to be distinctly "American".
The Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index found that although US foreign policy remained
a key driver of hostility, dissatisfaction with the world's sole superpower might
run deeper.
"The US is still recognized as a leading place to do business, the home
of desirable brands and popular culture," said Simon Anholt, author of
the survey. "But its governance, its cultural heritage and its people are
no longer widely respected or admired by the world."
Keith Reinhard, president of Business
for Diplomatic Action, a group of business leaders dedicated to improving
the US's image overseas, said help from the private sector was needed to repair
Brand America.
"Right now the US government is not a credible messenger," said Mr
Reinhard, chairman of DDB Worldwide, the advertising group. "We must work
to build bridges of understanding and co-operation and respect through business-to-business
activities."
Such initiatives could include lobbying for less stringent visa requirements
for foreign students entering the US, increased cultural exchanges between US
businesses and their foreign counterparts, and courses in diplomacy and foreign
languages at business schools.
The US ranked 11th in the Brands Index, which asks people around the world
to rate 25 countries according to their cultural, political and investment potential
and other criteria. Australia received the highest overall score, with respondents
expressing "an almost universal admiration of its people, landscapes and
living and working environment", according to the report.
Although the US received high marks for its popular culture, it ranked last
in cultural heritage, a measure of a country's "wisdom, intelligence, and
integrity", according to Mr Anholt.
That the world takes a dim view of the US people will surprise most Americans
themselves: the study's American respondents consistently placed the US at the
top of all six categories polled.
