You can't outsource content creation

I finally got around to watching the really well done Ted Koppell documentaries on China. While I am glad that Koppell's droll self satisfying humor is not a mainstay of documentary television, I was blown away by many of the insights into the new Chinese culture. One of the things that really stood out to me, was a set of interviews with a fashion photographer in China. While trained in America, he had returned to China to set up shop. One of the little gems in his discussions with Ted, was that Chinese and their education system puts no importance on the arts or creative thinking. I guess this isn't such a strange insight coming from the land that forced college professors to toil in the fields in order to be re-educated. But it struck me as odd in thinking about how much of a premium is being put on the Chinese as the next major consumer market, and the source of much production.
With economy progressing as well as it is, it is understandable why so many would be fearful of the outsourcing of jobs. Lord knows some of the finest developers to work on my projects don't speak English and will probably never need to. But more than that, what about my job? Certainly project management is a field that can be outsourced and probably made more effective through objective empirical study. But creative concepts and communication are some of the most context sensitive ideas there are. Can these be outsourced too?
Personally I hope not, but beyond my hubris, I think many of our archetypes and traditions that we generally riff on to sell brands and ideas are completely embedded in community and society. Would JetBlue's newest campaign work in a country where flying is not a commodity but an indulgence like it is in most of the world? Would Scion's innovative non-traditional advertising campaign work where 20-something lifestyle isn't tied to manifest destiny and individual identity?
Certainly it would be naive to say that some traditions and ideas aren't shared by all people around the world. And of course similar levels of income, education, and social progress make many cultures similar enough to lust after similar brands and ideas. But the other half of the equation remains how users approach media and messaging. It isn't enough to post a microsite and drive a European/North American audience through paid media and expect to see similar trends. Every culture embraces not only messaging, but information and media usage individually.
So what does all of this mean? Well, basically I think my job will be safe as long as American's keep up the trend of top consumers in the world. Hell even if we drop 4 or 5 places in consumption as part of GDP, I think I will be alright. Even if China isn't embracing creative thinking in it's culture, their are brilliant creative minds that will bring quality ideas to life for brands all over the world, especially China. And like all good creative ideas, it will be rooted in an understanding of what narratives work for potential consumers, as well as how people are looking for and using information. Some process' can be outsourced for great benefit, but the things that touch us as individuals will be defined by a direct understanding of what makes us tick as a people.