I once spoke to a group of marketing students from U.C. Berkeley. I asked them to paint a picture of an individual from the following information:

His father is a lawyer and Rotarian. His mom is a teacher and president of the PTA. He’s Protestant. His family has lived in Springfield for three generations, and he graduated fifth in his high school class.

Naturally all I got back were blank stares.

Then I asked the same question with the following information:

He wears Volcom jeans, a Quicksilver t-shirt, a Hurley cap and DC sneakers. He drives a tuner and listens to The Killers.

Bingo! Faces lit up.

Whether you like it or not, we’ve become a society that defines itself by what we buy, not necessarily by what we believe. To some extent people believe that brands say something about the person. And frankly, to be part of this consideration set is critical for the success of a brand. Call it shallow or materialistic, but American business thrives on this kind of consumerism, and its exportation helps drive the global economy.

Now look at a picture of Osama Bin Laden. See any logos? No. Bin Laden represents a growing segment of the world’s population that rejects western materialism and globalization. When we consider the wide gamut of cultures and ethnicities we market to worldwide, we need to be more sensitive to the differing and complex sensibilities of these various cultures. Reactions to techniques we believe are fundamentally sound and appropriate marketing practices in the United States can vary drastically in different cultures.

Instead of resorting to our traditional forms of advertising, why not employ a tactic that is less intrusive?