With America celebrating its 250th birthday, retailers have jumped on the patriotism train, but that’s a train that can actually come off the tracks.
“Consumers haven’t turned against patriotism — they’ve turned against performance. Brands that get this wrong in an America250 year will pay for missing the moment,” according to Zappi, which conducted a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers.
Nearly half (49%) of the survey’s respondents said patriotic branding makes them view a brand more positively — compared with just 16% who react negatively. Only 3% think brands shouldn’t celebrate America at all.
Consumers want real action, not just American flags, bald eagles, and naked symbolism.
“Nearly two-thirds (63%) say they trust companies that invest in local jobs more than companies that simply run patriotic ads. Fifty-nine percent say brands that celebrate people and communities feel more genuine than brands leaning on national symbols,” the Zappi data showed.
The signal is unambiguous. Show the work, or don’t bother showing the flag.
Walmart Sam’s Club has decided to enter the America250 patriotic space by celebrating some American classics in its food court with a new menu item.
Sam’s Club celebrates an American tradition
Sam’s Club has added what it’s calling an “Americana Sundae” to its food courts. That’s leaning heavily into symbolism, but the core ingredient does fit the all-American bill.
The Americana Sundae starts with a vanilla frozen yogurt base that’s layered with pieces of apple pie. It’s finished off with a swirl of whipped topping. Sam’s Club has confirmed that the sundae will cost under $2, too, no matter where you’re buying it, Food & Wine reported.
That price, which TheStreet confirmed with a phone call (although prices could vary by store), is 99 cents cheaper than Costco‘s food court sundaes, which come in at $2.99.
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For the new sundae, Sam’s Club also leans into its own product lineup.
“Sam’s Club isn’t just using any old apple pie in its Americana Sundae: It’s opted for an award-winner. The sundae’s pie layer is made with pieces of Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark Honeycrisp Apple Lattice Pie, which, as a Sam’s Club representative says to Food & Wine, was “crowned as a 2024 national champion by the American Pie Council,” Sporked reported.
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Sam’s Club’s limited-time offers serve a purpose
To kick off July, I visited Starbucks because it brought back the S’Mores Cold Brew. And while I visit Starbucks multiple times a week, this was an added visit that took me a few minutes out of my way.
That shows the power of an LTO to drive behavior, and many restaurants and retailers have used them to entice customers to their locations.
Not every restaurant uses limited-time offers, but they do help get people’s attention, according to GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders.
“Limited-time offers usually present something different and interesting to diners, so they grab attention better than standard menu items. Layer on the sense of urgency and FOMO that something limited creates, and it drives demand. Of course, this is all aided by the fact that core menu items are still under pressure from diners cutting back,” he wrote on RetailWire.
His fellow Brain Trust Member Shep Hyken, a New York Times bestselling author of books on retail, believes LTOs serve a dual purpose.
“Limited-time offers reward new customers for trying the restaurant and existing customers/guests for coming back. They don’t replace the menu. They simply highlight a special. The LTO can be tied to seasonal offerings or just a special offering that the restaurant doesn’t offer. If the offer brings people in and the promotion generates ROI, then what’s to question?” he posted.
It’s a simple proposition, according to Kelly Haws, professor of marketing at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, who was speaking about Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte.
“Taking it away, giving people something to look forward to, makes it all the more appealing to consumers,” she told CNN.
Sam’s Club leans into nostalgia
The Americana Sundae isn’t a typical LTO because it also leans into the America250 celebration. Pricing it below competing food court desserts also makes the promotion feel more like a value play than a cash grab.
“For brands planning America250 activations, the data points to a clear formula: lead with value, anchor it in community, and let the patriotic storytelling carry the emotional weight rather than the commercial ask. Consumers are ready to welcome brands into this moment — they’ll reward the ones that earn it,” Zappi wrote in its analysis of the survey.
Lauren Downing Peters, associate professor of fashion studies at Columbia College Chicago, said that companies have released products that harken to the past rather than look forward, and show how America’s birthday can be a unifying force in divided moments.
“Fashion, and by extension, merch, is a common ground where we can all celebrate this one shared aspect of our identity and experience as Americans,” Peters told Tucson.com.
Sam’s Club has made a safe play with its sundae, giving consumers an affordable product that celebrates America without being in any way political.
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