In a funny way I think they do put them in the bag with the Big Macs, just a little sprinkle at a time. What they see of us in movies, taste of us at Mickey D's and KFC, is attractive to them.
The big NA cultural products are Celine Dionne and action movies. Steven Segal type shlock. Blade Runner. And so forth.
These are interesting but not terrificly good at getting someone to buy the other products.
They are advertising for the overall business, not the products.
You can't sell someone democracy or modernity through a Steven Segal movie. At least, not very efficiently.
You have to market the product. CNN and CSPAN with Arabic and other local language subtitles and voice overs. Screw the propaganda and YADA YADA.
Radio Liberty with strait local news and analysis. No fibs. No ideology. And great pop music.
Western culture radio: history, english lessons, math lessons, drama. Great music. Don't hide our warts but don't apologize for them either.
The promotional products have to be good quality and honestly presented.
And, you have to build a local show room where they can test drive a finished product.
And a forum where folk can discuss the product with users.
I'm pushing the marketing metaphor really hard because I think it has significant merits and weaknesses.
One weakness is the foreign policy version of bait and switch.
After about the 2nd time the prospect doesn't want to listen to the promotion.
Another is inflated claims for what the product can do. It's not going to make you rich overnight. Don't give up the day job.
And of course after market maintenance.
Think of the challenges the product presents to Mr/Ms Marketer:
It's not a fridge. You have to run it yourself.
Actually, we're only selling the plans.
Mind you, they're very good plans. They come in at least six dimensions and when you open them they fill the space around you in lines of light glowing like stars, depending on what sort of glasses you're wearing, or not.
On the other hand, it can be made of materials that are to hand. Some of them are refractory and require patience.
When first assembled can be very difficult to start unless sub-systems have been warmed up first.
It will never run very well unless it has a free market engine. It will run even better if it's attached to other free market engines. Making the connection is the buyer's responsibility and can sometimes be difficult.
It requires constant maintenance.
It may need modification before it runs really well.
New owners sometimes find it very difficult to operate.
These aren't things the marketer can sweep under the rug.
But, nonetheless, customers' quality of life will improve with it. That's the claim.
Competitors indulge in false advertising, making dishonest claims about defects. |
