Given the U.S. standing in the global popularity stakes, I thought it might be revealing to conduct some market research with our usual partner, GMI, Inc., to look at global consumer spending on American products, and whether U.S. heritage is a good or bad thing when considering a purchase. While Americans celebrate their heritage, not everyone else in the world is so celebratory. Surprisingly the Dutch lead the revolt on U.S. consumer products with 54% finding the U.S. heritage a detriment, the U.K. followed closely with nearly half of purchasers seeing U.S. origin as a reason to deter purchase. Surprisingly the French were not so adamant with only one in three finding this a liability while in China over half of purchasers found the U.S. origin an asset. With current European feeling looking distinctly anti-American, U.S. brands must learn to localize more to distance themselves from their U.S. roots if they are going to continue to succeed in their European markets.

Here are our key findings by nation about the perceived value of U.S. origin:

• majority (86%) had bought a U.S. product service in last 3 months for most (88%), it was a consumer product

• about 2/3 (61%) of the time, this US heritage was an asset. U.K.:

• only about 1/3 (36%) had bought an American product/service in the last 3 months, which was a consumer product (85% of respondents)

• for only 1/3 (33%) was this heritage an asset, and for 47% was it a detriment. Netherlands:

• like the U.K. 29% had bought American and it was a consumer product (81%)

• the most vehement of all countries studied, with 54% finding the U.S. heritage a detriment!!!

• only 23% had ever visited to the U.S., and when they did it was on vacation (74%).

Germany:
• majority hadn’t bought American (62%) and those that did bought consumer products (90%)

• for about 1 in 4 (26%) was the American heritage a detriment, while for the majority (63%) it wasn’t either an asset or a liability.

France:
• nearly half (47%) had bought an American consumer product (90%)

• for 30%, this U.S. heritage was a liability while for 29% was it an asset.

China:
• the majority of respondents (67%) had bought American, and for most (67%) it was a consumer product

• for 54%, the American heritage was an asset.

Australia:
• a minority (41%) had purchased an American product/service, usually a consumer product (88%)

• for 16% was the US heritage a liability, while for 30% was it an asset.

Allyson Stewart-Allen is recognized as the world's leading authority on trans-Atlantic business, international marketing and working across business cultures. As founder of International Marketing Partners, Allyson Stewart-Allen advises a number of national government agencies and Fortune 100 companies. She is an American based in London and Los Angeles, a member of the Advisory Board of the New York-based organization Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), and a recently selected judge for the UK’s 2005 International Business Awards. Co-author of the first book on U.S. business (Working with Americans, Prentice Hall), Allyson Stewart-Allen is a regular contributor to the international business media, including CNN, BBC, USA Today, Newsweek, Business Week, Les Echos, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Sky News, Wall Street Journal, Marketing magazine as well as the major daily newspapers.