The Slow Decline of Patriotic Branding (and Maybe National Pride Itself)

There was a time when patriotic branding was hot. That time seems to be over. According to an eye-opening new study from a sociologist at Northern Arizona University, brands that include the outline of the U.S. map or the American flag are on the decline. And this is not just happening in America—it’s becoming more common globally too. So what might this say about our future culture or the state of how people see their relationships to the places they live and call their homes?

National pride at its core comes from a sense of shared identity. The more division we see in our cultures and the people around us, the more we feel like the things that tie us to our fellow citizens are fading. Along with this erosion of a shared culture comes the feeling that we are part of a group that is defined by something other than the nation in which we live or grew up. The internet perhaps makes this even easier to find a tribe of people that are located across the world instead of the people around us. And of course, there’s the loneliness and isolation the comes with living our lives increasingly online that removes us from the local communities. What would it take to bring it back? Or could we? I’d love to hear your thoughts—.