Brand Central Station

by Mike Bawden
President & CEO; Brand Central Station

It’s funny to me how we sometimes try to make a point in the virtual world and it winds up boomerranging back and hitting us in the face here in the real one.

A few days ago, I wrote a post about how young Americans don’t buy the “Buy American” argument just because doing so will keep US greenbacks in US bank accounts (a concept that, in itself, could be debated). Instead, I suggested that the “Buy American” argument would have more sway with young people if it was presented as an evironmentally-oriented message. Buy products made here because they have a smaller carbon footprint, so even if they cost more (dollars) they cost less (environmental impact).

An old college buddy I haven’t seen in 25 years – no kidding – but recently reconnected with (via Facebook) took a look at the article and gave me an interesting perspective. Gary Cantwell, the VP of Communications and Marketing at Trinity International University, went to college with me back in the 1980′s. After correcting a few typo’s in my post (the wasy of old editors die hard, I suppose), Gary shared his 17-year old son’s perspective on the future:

… he is very interested in working in China after college. He sees China as the best place for economic growth in the years to come. With the healthy skepticism that many of us feel towards our own government (especially with the increased government involvement in free enterprise that seems to be creeping in), China appears to him as a wide-open free-market field of opportunity (Go East, young man!). So, he absolutely has no sense of responsibility to buy American.

This is an interesting perspective in that we are very conservative, fiscally, politically and socially. He sees no inconsistency in his perspective. He can be fully Christian, fully American and still look forward to moving to China to work. He lives in a much more globally aware world than we were raised in.

Now I have business partners in China (they’re in the PR business in Beijing via ECCO) and I think Gary’s son will have an eye-opening experience when he sees the difference between what we perceive to be “government intervention” in business and the way business is done in China. But what a great experience it can be.

On the other hand, I think Gary’s point that young people like his son (and mine) have no “sense of responsibility” to buy American just because the products are made here is right on.

This youngest generation has, thanks in large part to the Internet and other media, more of a sense of responsibility to their planet. They are the first “global generation” and there’s good – and probably bad (for America, anyway) – that comes with that new-found perspective.