Friday 5 July 2013

Walmart Tops List Of Most Patriotic Retailers

What do Jeep, Hershey HSY +0.61%‘s,Coca-Cola KO -0.32%, Disney and Walmart have in common? They are among
the most patriotic brands and icons as viewed by U.S. shoppers. Not only is Walmart one of the most patriotic brands in the U.S., but it handily beat all other retailers for the title.
Take that Macy's M +1.24%, Sears and JCPenney.
Not only does America overwhelmingly shop at Walmart, but shoppers equate the Walmart brand with the United States more so than any other retail name, according to Brand Keys, a New York-based brand and customer engagementresearch group.
Walmart, at No. 15, is the only retailer to make the list.
“We looked at eight different categories of retail, which came out to 25 retail brands included in the survey,” explains Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys. “Walmart was No. 15 at an 81% rating for the patriotism value, followed by Sears at 80%.”
Sears’ Craftsman brand came in next at No. 16 on the list, further reinforcing the idea that the value of Sears’ brands are stronger than its retail operation. But that’s another story.
“No other retail brands even showed up in the top 50,” says Passikoff. “After that, the ratings fell below 70% and kind of  ‘grayed out.’”
Walmart was also No. 1 on Brand Key’s annual Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (January 2013) for the discount retail category, but that included a lot of different category-specific values. Out of all retailers, Walmart had the highest resonance for just patriotism.
Walmart’s spot on this list may come as a surprise to some and disappointment to many. That Walmart would be viewed as patriotic in spite of all the negative views and in spite of being hammered on wages and benefits.
Perhaps Walmart’s recent pledge to boost sourcing of U.S. made products by $50 billion over the next 10 years and its promise to hire 100,000 honorably discharged veterans in that time has helped its image.
Or perhaps, it’s the fact that more than 65% of U.S. shoppers regular frequent Walmart stores. Americans quite rightly consider themselves to be patriots, therefore their top choice for shopping must also be the most patriotic choice. The alternative is to feel like traitors to their country.
“Rational aspects like ‘Made in the USA’ and CSR activities play a part in the total make-up of the brand, of course,” said Passikoff. “But with strong emotional engagement, good marketing just gets better. It’s an unbeatable combination.”

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