CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION - MARKETING GAFFES, what if big companies miss concentrating on communication when they're launching their products in a new country or continent
2. EXORDIUM
Marketing is one of the trickiest elements to get
right when expanding your business globally.
Many companies have learned the hard way that
you have to think outside of your own cultural
bubble when it comes to marketing abroad.
Language, of course, is one of many cultural
barriers you may have to bridge with your partner
organization.
3. For your knowledge pleasure
we have provided a few classic
cross cultural
marketing blunders
4. In 2002, UMBRO the UK
sports manufacturer
had to withdraw its new
trainers (sneakers) called
the ZYKLON. The firm
received complaints from
many organisations and
individuals as it was the
name of the gas used by
the Nazi regime to murder
millions of Jews in
concentration camps.
5. GERBER, a NESTLE owned
purveyor of baby foods first
started selling their baby food in
AFRICA, they used the same
packaging as in the USA with the
cute baby on the label. Later
they found out that in Africa
companies routinely put pictures
on the label of what is inside the
package, since most people
cannot read.
6. Honda introduced
their new car
"FITTA" into Nordic
countries in 2001.
"FITTA" was an old
word used in vulgar
language to refer to
a woman's genitals
in Swedish,
Norwegian and
Danish. In the end
they renamed it
"HONDA JAZZ".
7. When PUFFS
tissues tried to
introduce its
product, they were
quick to learn that
“Puff” in German is
informal term for a
BROTHEL. The
CMO behind that
brand must have
been sleeping.
8. When Pepsi expanded their
market to China with the
slogan, "PEPSI BRINGS YOU
BACK TO LIFE." What they
didn’t realize is that the phrase
translated to “PEPSI BRINGS
YOUR ANCESTORS BACK
FROM THE GRAVE.” This
may seem like a pretty funny
mistake but to Pepsi this was a
huge mistake, especially when
you're trying to build a brand
on a global level.
10. FORD introduced PINTO
in Brazil. After watching
sales go nowhere, the
company learned that
"Pinto" is Brazilian slang
for "TINY MALE SACK"
Ford replaced nameplates
with "CORCEL" which
means horse.
11. When PARKER Pen
marketed a ballpoint pen in
Mexico, its ads were
supposed to have read “It
won’t leak in your pocket
and embarrass you”.
Instead the ad turned into “It
won’t leak in your pocket
and make you pregnant”.
12. In Spain, when Coors
Brewing Company
translated its slogan
“Turn it loose” into
Spanish, it read as:
“Suffer from
Diarrhoea”.
13. An American T-
shirt maker in
Miami printed
shirts for the
Spanish market
which promoted
the Pope's visit
Instead of "I Saw
the Pope" (el
Papa), the shirts
read "I Saw the
Potato" (la
papa).
14. CONCLUSION
• These are some strong examples of how companies should
heavily research translation before launching their brands
internationally.
• When creating communications, we are taught first and
foremost to know your market.
• The cultural values of a society must be analysed carefully.
• What are the religions practised by the majority of the people?
• Is the society individualist or is it collectivist?
• Is there any dominant political ideology? or economic ideology? All of
these, and more, will impact a brand launch if left unexamined.
Companies need to add a native employee in PR or Marketing team to
avoid these disasters.
