American Brand Image

No number of ad campaigns or diplomatic speeches can change minds on the Arab Street as effectively as one personal recommendation from another Arab. I was surprised, then, to learn that there are few, if any, programs to bring average Arabs over to America to experience it for themselves. Some I talked to in Oman lamented the $5 million that Charlotte Beers spent on an advertising campaign that could have funded a exchange program instead. Curious if it would work, I asked others I met and learned that there was one such independent program done as an experiment. An Omani factory worker, an average Joe, was invited to visit America at no expense to him. The worker, as I was told, was not particularly fond of America, but he was open-minded. He was taken to rural America, to cities, to the East coast and West coast and upon his return, he raved to fellow factory workers of his American experience. He reported back that there were churches everywhere, proving that America was not the Godless society they thought it was. He also reported that he was not treated any differently because he was a Muslim. He was welcomed with open-arms wherever he went. Because of his real experience, this one man was influencing the opinions of an entire factory. (Re:Focus) Bold is mine.

This is why Salaam is so effective and important. It puts the power in the people to build relationships, have experiences, and then show them to their peers.