Adam Schrader

Multicultural workplace, personality backgrounds of varying types, and mixed personal beliefs are properties of the culture differences in the melting pot of America. Walking through my employers’ 60,000 square foot broadcast warehouse you may feel as if you have just walked around the world. “What up my man” from Mike born and raised in Jamaica, “Hola El Heffay” from Sarita of the beautiful country Peru, and “Gud Mornnin” from Hahn a Vietnamese man with nearly 35 years of commitment to his position.

Expressing their cultural differences through appearance, personality, and cultural habits, but perhaps the most recognizable traits of diversity is their corresponding radio stations; each as unique to the backgrounds of these citizens as they are diverse. These stations vary from Hispanic themes of fast beats and outgoing emotion, to the urban rap culture making aggressive points with rhythm in words, to mellow soothing tones of varying instruments creating moods of relaxation.

The personalities of these stations are unique, however there is one aspect each of these stations and any other American radio station has in common, commercials; the opportunity for businesses to promote products. How does a company in America promote products to such a diverse American culture? Certainly this represents challenges for marketers. How do you create a target market for a product everyone needs? These are aspects marketers must consider when promoting products.

sexteresting.

True, a Spanish ad on your local Spanish radio station may not be advertised on your local American English speaking station, nor is it likely an ad on your local urban rap station will be played on a historically classical station, however there is one selling point common among any of these stations, television ads, or magazine articles; sex. Running a search engine through Google titled “Sex Sells Best” produces over 1.4 million results. Some examples of ads, some of which you may have seen, include Victoria’s Secret Angels; five women with angels wings positioned on a sky full of clouds in lingerie. A vacuum ad in Germany showing a woman’s legs with a man in the background, hands tied behind his back, both wearing black leather lace. Renova, a Tokyo based company selling toilet paper using a contemporary room, a man and woman wrapped around each other in small white underwear; the background is a loose roll of toilet paper sprawled out along the floor near a toilet in the corner. An American based ad from Volvo runs an ad titled “We Are Just as Excited as You Are” promoting the sleek sexy bold look of black leather interior and their latest design.

No matter what your background, culture, inspiration, and beliefs, people have sexual interest. Using sex to advertise and sell products has been around for about as long as advertising itself; capturing the attention of people of all cultures and the promotion of interest in products through such ads. Huuummm?….. sexteresting.

On that note. Any thoughts on how a vehicle became known as the “Hummer”?

Graphic Credit:
Animationfactory.com