Methodology: How TIME and Statista Determined America’s Most Iconic Companies
“For a long time, there had been a kind of fascination with the culture and the things that happened here in America, because America itself was kind of branded as this special place. There was a story around immigrants and the welcoming of people to this beautiful country to realize their dreams,” says Americus Reed, a professor of marketing at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “The mechanics of this is that when you invite the brightest and the best to come to one place, you get this bastion of creativity. You get innovation. And you can see that being infused in the brands, the products, services, organizations that start here.”
Ford Motor Company, which tops the list, has long aligned its brand with the American identity. Known for making cars accessible to the masses by bringing down production costs through the assembly line and distributing it across the U.S. via a locally-based dealer-franchise system, Ford transformed the manufacturing process and also transportation for the average American, reshaping the development of cities and suburbs. Now, it’s being put in a position to redefine the future of mobility in the country, as it experiments with self-driving cars, and works to bring down prices on its electric vehicles. “Just as my great-grandfather put the world on wheels to give people the freedom of movement, our approach to the modern era is rooted in that same spirit. Innovation is not just about building batteries or technology for its own sake; it is about making people’s lives better,” says Bill Ford, Ford’s Executive Chair. “We are leveraging our position as the largest hourly auto employer in the U.S. to ensure that the future of transportation is built by American workers for everyday American families.”
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