David’s post below suggests the attitude of Palestinians towards the United States can hardly be changed by advertising. And focus groups conducted in other Arab countries reveal the same thing.
Charney Research conducted focus groups among college educated people in Egypt, Morocco, and Indonesia. Their findings reveal that many Arabs hate America–but they have some very one-sided, and sometimes ridiculously false, ideas about the American people and its government.
It’s the focus of my new column on Talent Zoo.
Preconceived notions can’t be changed very easily–in international relations, or consumer advertising.
