NEW YORK, N.Y. – October 8, 2010 – There is a sense of national pride when a world-wide innovation is created in the U.S. Advertising that emphasizes a product is “Made in America” plays to that national pride, and it seems to have results. Three in five Americans (61%) say they are more likely to purchase something when the ad touts it is “Made in America” and only 3% say they are less likely to buy it. Just over one-third (35%) of U.S. adults say they are neither more nor less likely to purchase a product when an ad emphasizes it is “Made in America.”
These are some of the findings of a recent Adweek Media/Harris Poll survey of 2,163 U.S. adults surveyed online between July 27 and 29, 2010 by Harris Interactive.
Differences by Age
Age plays a role with how likely someone is to buy American; the older one is, the more likely they are to do so. Three-quarters of (75%) U.S. adults 55 and over say an ad emphasizing a product is “Made in America” would make them more likely to buy that product as would two-thirds (66%) of those 45-54 and three in five (61%) of those 35-44. This number drops considerably for the youngest Americans, with just 44% of those ages 18-34 saying an ad emphasizing a product is “Made in America” would make them more likely to purchase it while over half (52%) say it would make them neither more nor less likely to do so.
Differences by Region
There is also a regional difference. Two-thirds of Midwesterners (67%) say they are more likely to purchase a product when an ad emphasizes it is “Made in America”. This drops to six in ten Southerners (61%) and Easterners (60%) and just over half of Westerners (57%) who say the same.
So What?
Advertisers are always looking for a potent, feel-good message to help sell their products. National pride is something that can always work and Americans are proud of the products made at home. At the moment, car manufacturers are probably utilizing this tactic best, especially as they try to dig themselves out of the problems of the past few years.
TABLE 1
MADE IN AMERICA
“When you see an ad emphasizing that a product is “Made in America,” are you…”
Base: All U.S. adults
| Total2009 | Total 2010 | Age | Region | |||||||
| 18-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | East | Midwest | South | West | |||
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| MORE LIKELY TO BUY IT (NET) | 59 | 61 | 44 | 61 | 66 | 75 | 60 | 67 | 61 | 57 |
| Much more likely to buy it | 28 | 26 | 15 | 20 | 29 | 39 | 22 | 32 | 25 | 26 |
| Somewhat more likely to buy it | 31 | 35 | 29 | 42 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 35 | 35 | 32 |
| Neither more nor less likely to buy it | 37 | 35 | 52 | 37 | 30 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 36 | 38 |
| LESS LIKELY TO BUY IT (NET) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Somewhat less likely to buy it | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Much less likely to buy it | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
Methodology
This Adweek Media/Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between July 27 and 29, 2010 among 2,163 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Where appropriate, this data were also weighted to reflect the composition of the adult online population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.
The Harris Poll ® #116, October 8, 2010
By Regina Corso, SVP, Harris Poll, Public Relations and Youth Research, Harris Interactive
I became aware that there was a problem when a shoe manufacturer that most of my family worked for ,moved their operation to Mexico and our little town was hit with massive layoffs and no other job prospects.I was alarmed at the rate manufacturing jobs were leaving the US.
I’m so grateful that I happened upon a book How Americans Can Buy American written by Roger Simmermaker.I immediately made the switch to american made products.I did give up a few of my favorite products but I found that the change was easy to make.I found out that the american made products held up better and I
had more confidence that I was getting the best.I would rather pay a few pennies more
to keep manufacturing jobs here in the USA.