• by Tanya Gazdik , June 19, 2023

Photo Credit: Tanya Gazdik/MediaPost

Jeep is ranked most patriotic brand for a 22nd consecutive year, followed by Disney, Ford, Coca-Cola and Levi Strauss, according to a report. 

Brand Keys' Most Patriotic Brands survey has identified 2023’s top 50 American brands, which consumers feel best embody the value of “patriotism.” 

The rankings come at a time of shifting social and political landscapes, a rollercoaster economy, and the release of a 37-count, first-time federal indictment of former U.S. President Donald Trump, says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, the New York-based brand loyalty and engagement research firm.

“This event has amplified U.S. political partisanship, with the public now viewing everything through hyper-political lenses,” he says. 

To determine the 2023 national rankings, Brand Keys surveyed 6,150 consumers, 18 to 65 years of age, balanced for gender and political affiliation. They assessed 1,260 brands in 140 B2C, B2B and D2C categories. 

Using Brand Keys' independently validated emotional engagement measures, evaluations identify how well the brand resonates with consumers for the single value of “patriotism,” according to the company. 

Jeep and Disney remained in first and second place followed by Ford, which moved up two spots. Coca-Cola remained in fourth place, while Levi Strauss moved up two spots for fifth. Amazon, Coors and Walmart were in a three-way tie for sixth place. The rest of the rankings can be viewed online. 

Firearms brand Smith & Wesson, lifestyle brand Shinola, heartland brand Weber, and artificial intelligence brand OpenAI all showed up in the top 50 for the first time. Consumers also added or returned Jim Beam, WeatherTech, Wilson Sporting Goods, Goodyear, Macy’s and Craftsman to the top 50.

Brands with the biggest growth in consumer-acknowledged brand patriotism included MSNBC and Old Navy (+7 each), L.L.Bean and the NFL (+6 each), Harley-Davidson, Sam Adams (+5 each), Jack Daniels and New Balance (+4 each). 

Nine brands were dropped from the top 50 including: Pfizer, Netflix, The New York Times, Washington Post, CVS, Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, Google and Clorox.

When it came to patriotism and brands, 71% of consumers felt it was “extremely” (36%) or “very” (35%) important. Twenty percent thought it was “somewhat” important. Only 9% said it was “not very” (6%) or “not at all” (3%) important. 

“As a brand value, ‘patriotism’ is more far-reaching than any single political outcome or event,” Passikoff says. “Despite increases in political tribalism, patriotism is bigger than any leader, and outlives any leader – as do most great brands.”

But more than that, there are tangible economic advantages to being patriotic, he says. Brands that engage via emotional values, especially one as strong as “patriotism” always see increased consumer engagement, better consumer behavior toward the brand and, ultimately, better profits, he says.

“These brand rankings do not mean to suggest that other brands are not patriotic or don’t possess patriotic resonance or intent,” Passikoff says. “But the brandscape is now more challenging and partisan. Viewing brands through the lens of patriotism has gotten more complicated and more exacting. Today it takes a lot more than wrapping yourself in the flag.”