Ford Motor Co. is the most “quintessentially American brand” according to results of a new survey, a moniker that has prompted Executive Chair Bill Ford to call for Americans to put aside their differences and unite to help build a stronger future.
His request comes following a survey — called “America 250” in honor of the 250 years since the country’s birth — that found Ford is America’s most recognized brand equally by Democrats and Republicans as well as across all income levels.
“We are still America’s number one auto producer and a top employer,” Bill Ford said in an emailed statement to the Detroit Free Press. “As we look to the next 250 years, I believe the future is incredibly bright, but it hinges on us coming together as a nation. We must heal our divisions and keep pushing forward, just as we always have. Ford will be there, serving the nation and helping to build a stronger future.”
This recognition comes after Time named Ford the nation’s most iconic company in January. As the Free Press reported, Time described Ford as a company that “has long aligned its brand with the American identity.” On Time’s list, behind Ford, in the No. 2 spot is Apple, followed by the Coca-Cola Company, then Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s and in the No. 7 spot was General Motors.
The America questions
The “America 250” survey was commissioned by the Business Council, an association of CEOs that includes GM CEO Mary Barra and Ford CEO Jim Farley. The Council tapped global intelligence firm Morning Consult to conduct the survey of U.S. citizens, Canadians and United Kingdom citizens on topics associated with the United States.
The purpose was to understand what consumers think about America on a range of subjects, said Kyle Dropp, Morning Consult cofounder and president. No company paid Morning Consult to conduct the survey, he said.
Dropp said Morning Consult surveyed 11,007 U.S. adults online from Feb. 13-16, using a target sample based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment. The full survey results, he said, have a margin of error of 1 percentage point. Morning Consult interviewed separate samples of 800 adults in Canada and the United Kingdom, he said.
The company asked a range of questions, Dropp said, such as:
The survey included a question about the most quintessential American brand asked as: “Which of the following brands do you consider the MOST American?” With a list of a dozen options including Ford, McDonald’s Coca-Cola, Disney and Walmart, Dropp said.
Ford was ranked first with 17% of U.S. respondents choosing it. McDonald’s and Coca-Cola were tied at second with 13%. Walmart was fourth with 10% and the rest on the list comprised the balance of respondents.
Canadians ranked McDonald’s at No. 1 with 19% of respondents choosing it. Ford came in fourth with Canadians at 9%. The U.K. respondents did not choose Ford at all in the top four, instead listing: McDonald’s, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Disney, in that order.
The survey showed that most respondents listed the following traits as what makes a brand feel American to them: The products are made in the United States, it was founded in the United States and it has a long American heritage.
Ford ranked No. 1 among Democrats and Republicans and across every income group of the U.S. respondents making $50,000 a year to over $100,000 a year. The results showed 21% of Republicans chose Ford first and Coca-Cola second at 13%. For Democrats, 16% picked Ford first and McDonald’s second at 14%.
Marketing ‘From America, For America’
When asked how companies should mark the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the third-highest ranked answer was that companies should highlight ‘Made in the USA.’ The study showed 77% of respondents said yes to that option. It was tied with “offering discounts or promotions.”
Ford has done both. Around this time last year, Ford started to strongly pitch itself as America’s top carmaker. The messaging came as President Donald Trump looked to impose tariffs on imported cars and car parts. Farley would reiterate the statistic that 80% of the cars Ford sells in the United States were made in the United States.
On April 3, right after Trump enacted 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts, Ford announced a new marketing campaign called “From America, For America.” As part of it, Ford offered all customers employee prices on most of its vehicles running to July 7.
As the Free Press reported, “From America, For America” offset Ford’s dismal first-quarter results last year and put a positive light on the carmaker in a year when Ford led the industry in safety recalls. The campaign was instrumental in delivering a 14% gain in Ford’s second-quarter sales and, on July 1, the Ford brand — not including Lincoln — became the No. 1-selling brand in the nation for the first half of the year at 1,058,323 vehicles, topping its closest rival, the Toyota brand, by 550 vehicles and outselling Chevrolet brand sales by 136,437 vehicles.
Ford has been part of U.S. fabric
Ford was founded in 1903. It is known for putting America on wheels when founder Henry Ford perfected the use of an assembly line, consequently bringing down production costs. He famously paid his workers the $5 a day wage, enough to buy his cars. Ford also created the modern distribution system known as the locally based dealer-franchise system.
Bill Ford told the Free Press on March 2 in response to the latest survey results, “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, I’m proud that Ford has helped strengthen this country — not just by building great vehicles, but by expanding opportunity and improving people’s lives. My great-grandfather, Henry Ford, embodied this when he founded Ford in 1903.”
Ford said his great-grandfather’s innovations, particularly the assembly line, helped build the nation’s middle class by offering affordable cars, good wages and profit-sharing.
“He gave everyday Americans the freedom of mobility and the opportunity to participate more fully in the economy, fundamentally reshaping American labor and society,” Ford said. “This commitment to our values and American innovation is why Ford has endured.”
Ford said the company has been part of the nation’s story through two World Wars as the “Arsenal of Democracy,” and “we’ve navigated numerous crises thanks to our dedicated employees who simply would not let us fail. That resilience and willingness to get up and keep swinging reflects the very best of America.”
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer for USA Today Co. who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: As Ford tops ‘most American brand’ list, Bill Ford asks nation to unite
Reporting by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
