Europeans shun US products over policy
One in five Europeans say they will avoid buying products most closely associated with the US, according to a poll of 8,000 international consumers.
The survey, conducted one week after the US election, appears to confirm suspicions in the advertising industry that the unpopularity of US foreign policy is denting the image of iconic American brands.
Until now, the clearest evidence of this was a drop in third-quarter sales for McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Marlboro in Germany and France, but the companies blamed their problems on a mixture of other factors such as the weak economy.
Yet this latest polling data from Global Market Insite, an independent research firm based in Seattle, suggests the image of the US abroad is playing a role.
The poll, based on 1,000 people in each of the Group of Eight countries, found the strongest negative reaction to companies perceived most clearly as US-based such as American Express, AOL, American Airlines, Marlboro, McDonald's, Budweiser, Barbie Doll and ChevronTexaco.
In contrast, consumers identified other US companies such as Kleenex, Kodak, Visa, Heinz and Estée Lauder much less closely with America. Companies such as Microsoft also saw less impact because consumers felt there were few alternatives. Mitchell Eggers, GMI's chief pollster, said: “The data illustrates that a less favourable view of America affects the image of products closely associated with American brands. When allies view American foreign policy as arrogant and self interested, we damage our reputation for being powerful, innovative and, most importantly, fair.”
The impact of the Iraq war and other political questions on US brands is now a hotly debated topic in advertising circles.
Leading industry figures such as Kevin Roberts, chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi, have expressed public concerns that US policy could hurt US brands in foreign markets.
In particular, Mr Roberts said in a recent interview that he expected consumers in Europe and Asia were growing resistant to having “brand America rammed down their throats”.
Other advertising executives have taken issue with such statements, asking whether the brands that are suffering in overseas markets might have problems that go beyond politics.
Recent polling by GMI shows US airlines may be hardest hit as foreigners also fear terrorist attacks.
美对外政策拖累美国货
据一份针对8000名国际消费者的民意测验表明，五分之一的欧洲人表示，他们将避免购买与美国有最密切关联的产品。
这次调查是在美国大选一周后进行的，调查几乎进一步证实了广告业的一些猜疑，即美国的对外政策不得人心，正在削弱美国品牌的形象。
直到现在，有关这一点最明显的证据是麦当劳(McDonald’s)、可口可乐(Coca-Cola)和万宝路(Marlboro)第三季在德国和法国销售下降，但这些公司把问题归咎于经济疲软等其它综合因素。
但Global Market Insite这次最新民意测验的数据表明，美国形象在海外正起着作用。Global Market Insite是一家独立研究公司，总部位于西雅图。
这次调查基于八国集团(G8)中每个成员国的1000人做出。调查发现，对于那些被认为总部明显位于美国的企业，消费者的负面反应最强烈，如美国运通(American Express)、美国在线(AOL)、美利坚航空(American Airlines)、万宝路、麦当劳、百威(Budweiser)、芭比娃娃(Barbie Doll)和雪佛龙德士古(ChevronTexaco)。
相比之下，消费者认为，Kleenex、柯达(Kodak)、维萨(Visa)、亨氏(Heinz)和雅诗兰黛(Estée Lauder)等其它美国公司与美国的联系则没那么密切。由于消费者觉得几乎没有其它替代产品，因此微软(Microsoft)等公司也受到了较少的冲击。Global Market Insite的首席民调员米切尔?埃格斯(Mitchell Eggers)表示：“数据说明，对美国形成不太有利的看法影响了与美国品牌有密切联系的产品形象。当盟国认为美国的对外政策傲慢自大、自私自利时，我们损害了美国强大、具有创新能力，而且最重要的是公道的声誉。”
伊拉克战争和其它政治疑问对美国品牌造成的冲击，目前已成为广告界激烈辩论的话题。
盛世长城(Saatchi Saatchi)首席执行官凯文?罗伯茨(Kevin Roberts)等业界主要人物已公开表示担心，认为美国的政策可能损害美国品牌在外国市场的形象。
尤其是最近在接受采访时，罗伯茨先生说，他预计欧洲和亚洲的消费者对“不断被灌输美国品牌”的抵触情绪越来越大。
