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The USA Needs a Strategy to Rebuild its Image

Carol Bellamy & Dam Wienberg | The Washington Quarterly | Summer 2008

A study by the Pew Foundation recently confirmed that the USA has been suffering from an image problem for years, and this all over the world. Even in Japan, Argentina, Germany or Great Britain, all countries with a traditionally positive stance towards America, approval rates are sinking drastically. Traditional image building in the shape of the media-orientated work of the US Information Agency (USIA) will hardly be able to halt this trend – not to mention turn it around. A far-reaching image building strategy is necessary: a public diplomacy offensive involving school children, students, and the working population who would act as quasi civil-diplomats. Individual exchange programs should be used as an effective public diplomacy tool. In this context, it is worth paying attention to four main principles:

• Diversity: If US citizens are sent abroad within the framework of an exchange program, then they should reflect the diversity of the American population. Hispanic students for instance have until now only made up 9% of the share of exchange students although they represent 25% of the American student population. Besides, two thirds of American exchange students still go to Europe. Future programs should therefore especially promote regions which are increasingly significant geopolitically.

• Cultural immersion: Individual exchange does not make much sense if the contact between the visitors and the local population remains superficial. This applies both to foreigners visiting America and US citizens abroad. Effective exchange programs be able to continue due to the fact that they include a firm connection of the visitor to local institutions and families.

• Civil-diplomats: The USA should urgently think of ways of supporting people who are already active as civil-diplomats without being aware of it. This is for instance the case of the thousands of people working for USAID and involved in a wide range of aid projects worldwide. For example, these projects provide the framework to organize (and finance!) events at which the local population often comes into contact with members of USAID and where intercultural understanding can be strengthened.

• Tomorrow’s elites: Exchange programs should especially focus on the young elites of other countries. The world’s future decision makers should experience personal contact with US citizens early on in order to subsequently be able to positively influence the forming of opinion in their home country, an opinion which often enough is distorted by media coverage.

The image of the USA, which was once a positive one all over the world, could be recovered if one manages to initiate a carefully coordinated public-diplomacy offensive based on dialogue and individual exchange. In principle, the USA still benefits from a fair amount of respect around the world. The negative trend in surveys is more the reflection of disappointment and irritation with respect to recent political developments than deep-seated hatred. It is therefore time to halt this trend and make sure that image building becomes once again a political priority.

This summary was prepared by the Atlantic Community editorial team from "Educational and Cultural Exchanges to Restore America's Image" published here in The Washington Quaterly edition Summer 2008.

Related materials from the Atlantic Community:

• Paul Hockenos: Why Hate America?
• Niklas Keller: Think Tank Analysis: US/EU Relations: It's Not About the Values
• William Drozdiak: 4 Myths About America-Bashing in Europe

Thu, Jul 31st 2008, 13:18

Syed Qamar Afzal Rizvi

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By all pragmatic and virtual considerations,the withering transnatioanl image of the United States has to be positively restored by taking multipronged steps by the US think tanks, policy makers both in the establishment and in the civil society.The tides of antiamericanism that are spreading transnationally, must or can only be controlled If the US administration truly realises the exigency to tame the image of the United States in the world. The hard- security doctrine must be repalced by that of the soft- security doctrine. Although the newly indoctrinated smart power doctrine by the US strategists seems to have paved way for some positive reflections on the US role in building the suffering economy and soccially deprived communities in the world, some prompt efforts have yet to be carried out.The Muslim world generally registers the plight regarding the US policies of unilateralism in the world. Intercontinentally, Muslims do have grave reservations regarding the ongoing war on terror, which by all means, has undermined the US image.The US-percieved actions based on the ideology of polarism, has also affected the US image in the European community.It is in this frame of refernce that the US has to revisit its foreign policy-an anchorsheet to potray a bad or good image of the US in the world.

Tags: | anti-Americanism |

Wed, Aug 6th 2008, 05:56

Vladas

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I like this comment! What's this?

U.S. should change its policies and become a good citizen. Eventually, it will take care of the image...

Fri, Aug 15th 2008, 16:02

vladas 2

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Are you fine people at ATLANTIC COMMUNITY either fools or knaves? People throughout the world "hate america" because of what its business-banking elite have been doing to it the last 20 years if not more. The world will stop hating America not because of absurd "image" changing. It will stop hating American when its government:


Forces the current rulers in Jerusalem to withdraw from the west bank and stops supportin them unconditionally.

places regulations or at least the TOBIN tax on international capital flows.

when it stops controlling the WTO IMF and WORLD BANK

when it abolishes the "PATRIOT ACT"

when it stops consuming more than its hare of resources and thus stops trying to control the world's oil

when it stops giving public money to private food corporations to produce food so cheap for export that it drives farmers everywhere in the world off the land and causes hunger in thise countries.

But then if a US government did this, how would "image consultants" make money?

Tue, Aug 26th 2008, 22:57

Richard Wales, MEI Network, Silver Contributor (59)

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You got it Vladas. It's the money. The same individuals in the U.S. and other countries making money on the blood and suffering of others. It's also true that the U.S. people are caught in a destructive consumerisim mind set, taught from birth by the corporate controlled media, the schools and the government. Interestingly, I notice that when people from other countries come to the U.S. they immediately jump on the cosumerisim band wagon. I also notice that when I see clips of people from other countries all over the world many of them are wearing American baseball caps, tee shirts and have a walkman stuck in their ears. It's not that the U.S. controls the WTO, it's that the WTO exists at all. The purpose of the WTO is to reduce most of the people on the planet to poverty and slave labor to enrich a few. Those few may be Americans, Europeans, Arabs or Russians. The ethnic/religion game is just that - a game. The people gathering the money don't care where you're from or what you believe, they just want your life energy. The folks in the U.S. will eventually wake up, they're going bankrupt, they'll have to wake up. In the meantime we must fight the corporate tool that is being used to destroy humanity globally no matter the current name it's tagged itself with. And I agree with you, none of this will pay people in think tanks or P.R. firms.

Wed, Aug 27th 2008, 07:50

Member deleted

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From my point of view the article "The USA Needs a Strategy to Rebuild its Image" miss totally the real substance which is the US policy. US marketing orientated people probably are used to cover shit with attractive package but people living in old civilizations can see through it. They can see how US is using state terror against those who do not support the wins of US military-industry complex, they see how US is using double standards by supporting totalitarian regimes around the world and trying attack to democratic societies when short term gain demands it. Also the fact that US is using great part of rare raw materials and polluting incomparable share of globe are not favoring US image.

Mon, Sep 8th 2008, 19:46

Lior Petek, University of St. Gallen, Platinum Contributor (216)

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I want to refer to the main assumption in this discussion.

It has been mentioned that good policies lead to a good image. I have to disagree with this assumption as it is only partly true. My objection arises from the fact that there is no such thing as "good" policies, since it is all a question of perception. This is where marketing techniques come into play (though "marketing orientated people [that] cover shit with attractive packages" are not just to be found in the US, but also in Islamist organizations (e.g., Hezbollah) and Arabist governments (e.g., Syria), as well as in Europe as some of the above comments demonstrate). Now, some would argue that a "good" policy is one that enjoys a worldwide consensus. Besides the fact that social consensus represents a marketing technique itself ("if everyone agrees it is good, it has to be good") and can easily be claimed and manipulated, even if actual worldwide consensus exists on a subject it is no basis for something to be true (for instance, in ancient Greece enslaving people was seen as a "good" policy; or to name the most famous, if not political example: astronomy with the cases of Kopernikus, Galilei, ...).

Tue, Sep 9th 2008, 02:18

Member deleted

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I agree that question about good or bad policies is a relative conception and probably there does not exists a one issue which enjoys a worldwide consensus. However when we use marketing for rebuilding image the key questions could be e.g.

a) who and where are the clients to whom we are selling our product (Domestic market, Anglo-America, EU, wider Europe, Asia ...)?
b) how big share of selected markets we are planning to win?
c) Is there in our target area competitors which we could play down to enlarge our share?
d) Which are key interest groups which we want get (e.g. middle and upper classes of societies in target area, or only big number of peasants etc.)

The problem of seller (US) is that the amount and quality of buyers of product USA - however it is packed - in Europe is not increasing and potential competitor - Russia - is not anymore down.

Tue, Sep 9th 2008, 05:57

Donald Stadler, Self-employed, Diamond Contributor (1052)

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Ari, the answer may be to look for new markets. ;)

There is an equal and symmetrical problem which you fail to mention; the fact that Europe's market share is falling in the US. This is sometimes masked somewhat by the fact that certain products (UK) remain highly popular and there is at least one hot new product (Sarko) selling moderately well. But overall the brand is down, particularly the German and Spanish segments. And even the Sarko product has failed to revive the France segment that much. There isn't much consumer awareness of the very new brands like Poland, Czech Republic, Baltics, etc.

Another problem is that the US doesn't really make a profit on the European LOB, particularly the past decade or two, so many in the US are considering cutting back efforts in Europe to focus on newer emerging markets in Asia, South America, and Africa. This may be a better use of political capital.

Do you have a plan to revive the older European mainstream brands, or don't you recognize the problem? ;)

Tue, Sep 9th 2008, 09:27

Member deleted

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Speaking image of Europe it is difficult to find a common ground inside Europe or even inside EU. Personally I would market the model of Nordic welfare state which maybe is a little bit boring but in average gives quite equal, peaceful and developable living conditions to its citizens and immigrants.

Tue, Sep 9th 2008, 11:34

Donald Stadler, Self-employed, Diamond Contributor (1052)

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"model of Nordic welfare state"

Perhaps, but on a small scale. It's not proven to scale up well (not disproven either). And doing it well without oil revenues aka Norway requires tight management control. Sweden does this pretty well, but it remains to be seen whether that control can be maintained as Swedish society grows less homogeneous.

In any case the Nordic model is not tyupical of the average European welfare state. France may closer to the average, and France does some things pretty well. The US might look to copy their combination of public and private health insurance for an example.

Sun, Sep 28th 2008, 12:22

amarjyoti acharya

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The United States has an 'image'? Let us look at a few things, from my location. The Roman Catholic Church runs educational institutions in India. Its priests also assume, that apart from running educational insitutions, they have a say in the private life of scholars who specialize in Combating International Terrorism. They then issue ultimatums to such scholars within the range of questions begining from :marriage or job? Such questions usually presume the availability of the two. Just like when I ask you a question about 'Tea or Coffee'? Questions about Tea or Coffee abound in societies that have an image that is usually considered polite and 'civilized' - within quotes so that you do not mix something detrimental to my health (in every sense) in the tea or coffee. It is called choice. That image is nice and nearly every one that I know would welcome it, even if refusing the offer.
Choices such as 'Marriage or Job' - raise important issues, given the particular contexts and of course, the assumed competition with the Roman Catholic Church by sundry churches from the United States, like the evangelicals, baptists, etc.
The competition again precludes important issues like the availability, alongwith what issues it raises, and the particular nature or 'image' of societies that ask such questions to - hold your breath - non-christians!
The image of a good samaritan - like the image in Indian newspapers, of a nine year old boy blown to smithreens, by a bomb explosion - warrants the availability of 'products-on-offer', made to someone whose particular specialization deals with the prevention of such images -like that of a nine-year old boy blown to smithreens. Part of the rat-pack that immediately swoops upon such products-on-offer include particular ethnic groups that form the pariah of the indian socity, in its classical stratification and social organization, and do form the 'recipient-of-piety' body of masses. They assume to have support from similar 'civil' societies elsewhere, from France to the United States and even as far off as Ukraine!
That such products-on-offer [yet to be delineated and clarified over the period of nearly four years and in the loss of the very anchors to life (family, livelihood, etc.) of that scholar during this period] are yet to be made clear, even if the rat-pack swoops upon the scholar, reading such news with sadenned horror - speaks volumes about ethnic-religious groups assuming a clear support from elements within the US embassy in New Delhi,and thus of the United States in itself. Images of hot steaming cocoa do stir admiration. Nearly four years of yet-to-be-specified products-on-offer - hmmm. Yes, the United States has an image. Would it be in contra-distinction to the rat-packs as well as those who issued such offers-turned-into-ultimatums? Let us see... coffee or tea? One understands.Marrigae or Job minus specification? Must be the civilizational angst of an ancient civilization, since that scholar is the writer here and still wondering about 'images'...

Tags: | images,civility | society |

Sun, Sep 28th 2008, 12:31

Member deleted

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I like this comment! What's this?

The United States has an 'image'? Let us look at a few things, from my location. The Roman Catholic Church runs educational institutions in India. Its priests also assume, that apart from running educational insitutions, they have a say in the private life of scholars who specialize in Combating International Terrorism. They then issue ultimatums to such scholars within the range of questions begining from :marriage or job? Such questions usually presume the availability of the two. Just like when I ask you a question about 'Tea or Coffee'? Questions about Tea or Coffee abound in societies that have an image that is usually considered polite and 'civilized' - within quotes so that you do not mix something detrimental to my health (in every sense) in the tea or coffee. It is called choice. That image is nice and nearly every one that I know would welcome it, even if refusing the offer.
Choices such as 'Marriage or Job' - raise important issues, given the particular contexts and of course, the assumed competition with the Roman Catholic Church by sundry churches from the United States and elsewhere, like the evangelicals, baptists, etc.
The competition again precludes important issues like the availability, alongwith what issues it raises, and the particular nature or 'image' of societies that ask such questions to - hold your breath - non-christians!
The image of a good samaritan - like the image in Indian newspapers, of a nine year old boy blown to smithreens, by a bomb explosion - warrants the availability of 'products-on-offer', made to someone whose particular specialization deals with the prevention of such images -like that of a nine-year old boy blown to smithreens. Part of the rat-pack that immediately swoops upon such products-on-offer include particular ethnic groups that form the pariah of the indian society, in its classical stratification and social organization, and do form the 'recipient-of-piety' body of masses for many within such 'educational' institutions. They assume to have support from similar 'civil' societies elsewhere, from France to the United States and even as far off as Ukraine!
That such products-on-offer [yet to be delineated and clarified over the period of nearly four years and in the loss of the very anchors to life (family, livelihood, etc.) of that scholar during this period] are yet to be made clear, even if the rat-pack swoops upon the scholar, reading such news with sadenned horror - speaks volumes about ethnic-religious groups assuming a clear support from elements within the US embassy in New Delhi,and thus of the United States in itself. Images of hot steaming cocoa do stir admiration. Nearly four years of yet-to-be-specified products-on-offer - hmmm. Yes, the United States has an image. Would it be in contra-distinction to the rat-packs as well as those who issued such offers-turned-into-ultimatums? Let us see... coffee or tea? One understands. Marriage or Job? minus specification? Must be the civilizational angst of an ancient civilization, since that scholar is the writer here and still wondering about 'images'...

Tags: | civility | society | images |

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