Offline Marketing Tycoon

**TWD** · 10-19-2011, 07:55 PM

Swedish vacuum maker Electrolux didn't research
the implications of English slang when they did this launch.

**Shey** · 10-21-2011, 03:17 AM

Great topic TWD

It's sad to think that 'cultural awareness and sensitivity' is sometimes overlooked in a company’s international marketing strategy.

Here are some marketing fail

**chrishirst** · 10-21-2011, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TWD

Swedish vacuum maker Electrolux didn't research
the implications of English slang when they did this launch.

American slang if you don't mind.

**TWD** · 09:16 AM

OK, for the sake of Chris Hirst..

American English Slang.

Happy now? :-)

Some more marketing "home goals" (British English slang)

A very popular Japanese brand, Calpis, has had to change its name when launched in overseas markets. The milky carbonated drink had undesirable connotations to Western ears, sounding too much like ‘cow piss’. So, Calpis becomes Calpico in some markets. Even so, the brand is not likely to make any in-roads in Greece where it means ‘imitation’, ‘contraband’, ‘not real’.
When Pepsico advertised Pepsi in Taiwan with the ad “Come Alive With Pepsi” they had no idea that it would be translated into Chinese as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.” (it seems the product delivery didn’t live up to the product claims)
“Traficante” an Italian mineral water found a great reception in Spain’s underworld. In Spanish it translates as “(drug) dealer”.
Sharwoods, a UK food manufacturer, spent millions on a campaign to launch its new ‘Bundh’ sauces. It received calls from numerous Punjabi speakers telling them that “bundh” sounded just like the Punjabi word for “arse”.
Kellogg had to rename its Bran Buds cereal in Sweden when it discovered that the name roughly translated to “burned farmer.”

Ref: http://masmi.blog.com/2011/02/11/cro...s-linguistics/

**chrishirst** · 10-21-2011, 09:15 AM

Absolutely, the slight that has been done the REAL English language is no more.

**Shey** · 10-21-2011, 04:49 PM

what is 'real English language' anyway?

**chrishirst** · 10-22-2011, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shey

what is 'real English language' anyway?

I say! Why, it is the Queen's English my dear, as spoken by those frightfully charming ladies and gentlemen in the classic movies.

Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter for example

**Jim Gillum** · 10-22-2011, 12:48 PM

Well heck yeah!!

Ford dealer in Michigan....Kraphol Ford.....
The classic is a carpet store in Mt. Pleasant...."Assman Carpet"........
(Has to be American...English?)

**TWD** · 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrishirst

I say! Why, it is the Queen's English my dear, as spoken by those frightfully charming ladies and gentlemen in the classic movies.

Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter for example

Don't all Englishmen speak like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4oaGQ2POC8

**Shey** · 10-24-2011, 11:24 PM

so that's how then...hmm...

here's the story

**longlivemedia** · 04-24-2012, 02:12 AM

There are so many American products that would be incredibly funny when taken in certain cultural contexts but you don't see the people there s******ing at every little thing. These are not fails. Some people just aren't mature enough realize that English isn't the center of the universe.

**chrishirst** · 04-24-2012, 05:55 AM

Quote:

These are not fails.

Failures

Another "English grammar for Americans" lesson coming up

Failure is the noun that is the action of failing.

"fails" is a verb that describes the unsuccessful outcome of an action, as in:
this [action] fails every time.

or as the main predicate of a sentence. as in:
It never fails to amaze me ...