By Jamie Williams, Managing Partner, isobel
I love America.
The land of the free. The home of the brave. And the dream of many, the world over.
“The shining city upon a hill”, as Ronald Reagan quoted.
From the Declaration of Independence, through the post-World War 2 era, and into today, Brand America and the Star-Spangled Banner has stood for freedom, liberty, and opportunity – the world’s centre point and conductor, built on economic strength, soft power and cultural influence.
The home of Hollywood, Disneyworld, Nike, BBQ, the NFL, The Empire State Building, and the Grand Canyon.
What a country to visit. What a country to emigrate to. What a country to invest in. To buy products from. To aspire to.
But over the past few months, this powerful and symbolic American brand is starting to unravel.
The policies and rhetoric of Donald Trump are changing how the world views America, and unlike his first term, the effects are becoming significantly more tangible.
America is no longer the reliable peacekeeper of global order. While the U.S. remains a NATO member, countries in Europe are now rapidly investing in their own military defences to compensate for this shift in leadership.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has drastically reduced its soft and cultural powers with the near-total gutting of USAID, an action that has ended seven decades of America’s leadership in development and diplomacy. As a result, China is moving quickly to fill the void left by the U.S. It’s a shift in global influence that raises serious questions about the future of Brand America.
Only time will tell how Chinese policy, and influence, will change the world’s cultural dynamics.
This is all in addition to the most talked about policies – Trump’s tariffs, which have weakened America’s economic influence, disrupted global trade, and led some investors to reconsider their dealings with the U.S.
So, in just 4 months, Trump’s impact on Brand America has been profound.
US tourism has been hit hard. Tourism Economics’ projected a 9% increase in international inbound travel to the U.S in 2025, but so far, numbers are way down.
The number of Brits crossing the Atlantic is down 14% YOY, German visits are down 24%, and amazingly, airline bookings from Canada to the U.S. are down 70% compared to the same period last year. This is in stark contrast to Trump’s first term, when US visitor numbers, including from Canada, didn’t fall.
Less visitors means a hit to the US economy, and a hit to jobs. Tangible brand related metrics.
And given the US hosts the Ryder Cup this year, the FIFA World Cup next year, and then the Olympics in 2028, these numbers and trends must be seriously worrying organisers.
America’s isolationist policies are also prompting a growth of patriotic consumerism elsewhere, which is bad news for Brand America, and for American brands.
Canada imported nearly $350 Billion of products from the US last year, more than any other country. But Trump’s polices have given huge momentum to the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement, and its sending ripples of concern through the executive offices of U.S. based consumer companies.
Jack Daniels and other American spirits have been pulled from many Canadian liquor stores, with a ‘Buy Canadian Instead’ message in their place. And sales of American products in Canada are universally down, across almost every category.
So, can Brand America survive three and a half years more of Trump?
Firstly, there is a question over this time frame.
If Trump can blow up the constitution and secure an unconstitutional 3rd term, his reign may continue. Or perhaps his policies can be continued and extrapolated by the likes of JD Vance. And if so, it’s safe to assume that U.S. brand likeability will continue to go down.
But things can change very fast. “America is an unfinished symphony”, as Barack Obama quoted. This dip in brand fortune may just be a short movement.
Economic numbers could force enough Republican Senators to rebel, and block Trump’s tariff polices. And the Democrats could, in theory, win back the House in the midterms. Although in truth, The Dems have their own brand positioning issues to sort out.
If this change in US values is temporary, then theory suggests the strength and legacy of Brand America will mean it survives intact, shrugs off this dip, and bounces back with conviction. But, if this is the start of a new kind of America, then international opinions will surely shift more permanently, and the negative impact could continue to build.
As the French philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
If America ceases to uphold the values it was founded upon, it risks losing its claim to greatness
