• by Preanka Hai , Op-Ed Contributor, April 20, 2016

I love Americanisms: a Bostonian “wicked smart”; a Georgian “we’re fixin’ to get ready to go”; a Minnesotan “you betchya!” Although it was the first step, learning how to speak has been only part of my journey in becoming American.

British by birth, Bangladeshi by heritage and an American by choice, I became a naturalized citizen 18 years after immigrating to this country. Having connected with me, iconic brands — from Disney to the White House — began to shape how I forged my own American-ness.

As the United States sits at the confluence of tremendous change — of race relations, religious attitudes and popular culture — brands must accordingly adapt to sustain their relevance for an American audience.

Borrowing from my own experiences, here are a few key cues on how to create brands that connect with Americans today:

1. Become fluent.

Words — and the way you say them — can speak louder than actions.

Ant over aunt; eraser over rubber; trunk over boot: a few of the lessons I learned to survive in a fourth-grade classroom. I received my first lessons in “speaking American” from Sesame Street and Looney Tunes over bowls of Fruity Pebbles in London and Jeddah. The New York Times conducted a fascinating study on regional American dialects based on both pronunciation and word choice.

An organization must first start speaking the idea it aspires to embody. Through a combination of smart business decisions and memorable customer interactions, these collective behaviors add up to an organization’s best self.

During the 2016 presidential race, Bernie Sanders’ introduction of “socialist democratic” into the political rhetoric has been emblematic of his brand. His charismatic delivery has incited droves to #feelthebern, creating a viral sensation that has invited mockery and flattery alike. His native Brooklyn accent even adds a flourish of blue-collar authenticity. His campaign’s ability to translate his fluency with voters into actual votes will determine his success. Regardless of political stances, brands can learn from Bernie’s ability to speak the same language as their audience.  

2. Embrace difference.

The United States prides itself on its participatory culture. But when brands exclude potential American audiences, they cannot survive.  

Two of America’s most popular music genres — rap and country — have embraced the participation of unexpected audiences to different degrees. Both pepper my playlists because both, I believe, signify the better inclusionary impulse of Americans.

Rap, created by African Americans initially for them, has enjoyed crossover success to mainstream music because it has welcomed others. Whether it extols Black Lives Matter or Givenchy, rap is the vehicle through which many others, including me, can understand and share its values.

Embracing unexpected fans has also bolstered the brand extensions of rap moguls. Beats Electronics, for example, was able to hook a mass audience with a niche product based not primarily on its superior sound quality (unlike some competitors) but on a rapper whose music many know and love and, that in 2014, impelled Apple to pay $3 billion for it.

Country music, meanwhile, is the most listened-to genre in the country due in part to its quickly growing African American and Hispanic fan base. However, it is shackled by the perceptions of it being redneck, Southern and unsophisticated when, in fact, it is more diverse than expected, national and smart. Country music’s longevity as a popular genre will depend on the ability of its biggest brands to welcome and celebrate its diversity of fans.

3. Celebrate your core.

While the savviest brands embrace fluency and audiences, the ability to celebrate and reinvent their cores testify to their staying power.

Levi’s, founded by a German-American for gold-miners, has retained its iconic status and revenues through staying true to its founding principals — practicality, durability, simplicity. As denim companies have come and gone and athleisure has taken a chunk out of that industry’s revenue, Levi’s remains strong in the American psyche and true to the vision of its eponymous creator.

Today, few can hear the nuances in my accent. To most, I sound fully Mid-Atlantic. While I’ve become fluent in “American,” my behaviors — and the occasional variation in my speech — reflect the other essential parts of my identity. So while I now travel with an eagle-embossed passport and will go to the polls come November, I’ll still proudly wear both a saree and my British sense of humor.