Rebuilding Brand America
January 19, 2007
America's reputation is at a low ebb around the world. Many people blame the war in Iraq, but the problem actually predates the events of 9/11. A succession of government officials have tried to restore America's reputation with little effect. Some of their initiatives (e.g., warm and fuzzy ad campaigns, pop music-based radio stations, etc.) seem to channeling the private sector. But in reality they have adopted the trappings without the substance. The government could learn a lot from the private sector, but first it has to listen as I explained in this post to American.com on the eve of the State Department's latest effort to tap the expertise of corporate America.