The document discusses several global marketing blunders made by companies and the lessons that can be learned from them. Some examples provided include a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor that offended a foreign market, a Nike ad campaign that missed its target audience, and Toyota renaming its MR2 car to avoid a word that sounds like a vulgar term in French. The key lessons highlighted are to thoroughly consider culture, local input, regional differences, and translations when marketing globally to avoid offending or confusing foreign customers. The document also provides tips for working with translation vendors and local resources to effectively market to international audiences.

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Global Marketing Blunders
And the Hidden Lessons
They Can Teach Us All
Nataly Kelly
VP Marketing (Localization), HubSpot
Twitter: @natalykelly

2. 1. Any customers outside your HQ country?
2. More than 25% of customers outside your HQ country?
3. Marketing outside your HQ country?
4. Marketing in other languages?
5. Most common challenge?
Five quick questions.

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Challenges?
You’re not alone!

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Here’s some proof. ;-)

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Ben & Jerry’s?
We love ya.
But this wasn’t your
finest moment.

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And Nike too…
I know, right?

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Lesson:
Culture matters. A lot.

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Lesson:
Every market matters.

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Toyota MR2
Anyone speak French?
This sounds like
“merdeux” (shitty).

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Deux no more!
The #2 (and the
connotation with #2) was
removed for France after
the car wouldn’t sell

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Hmmm.
Feels like
something is
missing…

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Lesson:
Mind your numbers.

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Lesson:
Get local input. (Before launch)

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Lesson:
Don’t stereotype.

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Lesson:
Don’t enrage your home market.

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Who’s the target?
Someone who apparently
speaks English, Spanish,
and hopefully Brazilian
Portuguese…

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Lesson:
Lead with country, not region.

26. 1. Listen to engage with the local market.
2. Select your translation vendors very carefully.
3. Really spend time onboarding them.
4. Don’t ask your bilingual employees to translate.
5. Don’t try to cut corners with translation.
My five best tips of all time.

27. 1. Give your local resources a reason to help.
2. Require “translation memory.”
3. Create a style guide.
4. Demand transparency with translation vendors.
5. Find an executive champion.
Five (more) best tips of all time.

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Q&A

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Let’s connect.
nkelly@hubspot.com
Twitter: @natalykelly