If you can't win, spin

Keith Reinhard, chairman of Omnicom ad firm DDB Worldwide, announced the formation of the Task Force to Mobilize American Business for Public Diplomacy, a collection of marketing and PR experts who've come together to help American corporations improve America's image in foreign lands.

...Their research found that the world overwhelmingly shares the same four negative perceptions about US companies:

1. They exploit workers;

2. They're a corrupting influence, promoting values that are in conflict with local customs;

3. They are grossly insensitive and arrogant;

4. They practice hyper-consumerism; increasing profits is the only priority.

Where would they get such ludicrous ideas?

"Government must do better at explaining its policy decisions through official channels," [says Michael Holtzman, a former public affairs advisor to the US trade representative under President Clinton and EVP at PR firm Brown Lloyd James]. "The private sector needs to do a better job at making ordinary people in the Arab world hate us less for those government policies - or better, like us more despite our policies." article

Good luck there. Americans don't ever get it - that the rest of the world is not as consumer-oriented, and not as vulnerable to slick advertising. People who live lives of want and hardship seem to be less able to believe that white is black. I think we have it backwards. Get their disposable income up so they can distract themselves with consumerism. Then tell them how great we are, "despite our policies".

Sheesh.

....oh, do what you want....you will anyway.