Brand America

I went to a symposium last night titled “America’s Role in the World: Looking Beyond the Election.” Pollster John Zogby, Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter, and Ambassador Nancy Soderberg discussed the two “generations” represented in this presidential race. In one corner is the old paradigm: honor, sacrifice and duty. The (younger) fighter across the ring boasts diversity, multilateralism and change.

These divergent ideas of what our country tis of thee stands for are competing for center stage at a time when America’s standing in the world is oh, so low.

The event was sponsored by Business for Diplomatic Action, brainchild of ad legend Keith Reinhard (full disclosure: I interned there a few years back). BDA focuses on what individuals and businesses can do to improve relations overseas.

One of last night’s points worth repeating is that the world doesn’t resent our involvement as much as it resents the way we are involved – i.e., we lead by arrogance or force rather than by collaboration and, ahem, listening. Politics aside, there are a lot of cool things businesses can do to improve cross-cultural understanding. Folks in communications or advertising are in a unique position to influence how our country is perceived. I’m not talking about “selling” America. I’m saying we should think more about how our actions affect the pervasiveness of our culture around the world…and what that says about us.