{"id":112,"date":"2021-04-15T13:23:59","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T12:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2002studiosmedia.com\/blog\/?p=112"},"modified":"2022-11-18T15:13:39","modified_gmt":"2022-11-18T15:13:39","slug":"the-7-most-famous-fails-in-global-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2002studiosmedia.com\/blog\/index.php\/2021\/04\/15\/the-7-most-famous-fails-in-global-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"The 7 most famous fails in global Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sometimes, it is hard for companies to find the name of a new product or to create a slogan that can be shared worldwide. They face several challenges such as mistranslation or cultural misinterpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. ELECTROLUX: IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?<\/strong>

In the 1970s, Electrolux, the Swedish company specialized in household appliances, imagined a new slogan for one of its vacuum cleaner: \u201cNothing sucks like an Electrolux\u201d. They were clearly not aware of the other meanings of the verb \u201cto suck\u201d, which also refers to something that does not work in everyday language. They should have better used the verb \u201cvacuum\u201d to prevent ambiguity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. KFC WANTS TO CUT YOUR FINGERS<\/strong>

In 1987, the Kentucky Fried Chicken brand made a big Marketing mistake when they entered the Chinese market. The famous tagline \u201cFinger lickin\u2019 good\u201d was translated by \u201cWe are going to cut your fingers\u201d or \u201cEat your fingers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. NISSAN MOCO: THE ORIGINAL PLAN LOOKED GOOD<\/strong>

Nissan made a big mistake in the early 2000s by calling their new car \u201cNissan Moco\u201d. The Japanese brand obviously did not know that \u201cmoco\u201d means \u201csnot\u201d or \u201cbooger\u201d in the Spanish-speaking countries. Fortunately, this model was never launched on the Hispanic market as it was a A-segment car designed to compete with the Suzuki MR Wagon in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. IKEA FARTFULL: IS THE NAME OF FURTNITURE NEED TO BE ATTRACTIVE?<\/strong>

The Swedish brand is known for giving convoluted names to its products. Some people even think that it is a part of their Marketing strategy to strengthen their identity. However, it was not certain that they predicted the buzz around their new desk with castors called \u201cFartfull\u201d. Initially, it seemed like a good idea as \u201cf\u00e4hrt\u201d meant \u201cat full speed\u201d in Swedish but the English translation was, to say the least, inappropriate. Another model of table, called \u201cJerker\u201d, also had its moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. COCA-COLA: THE CONQUEST OF THE WEST<\/strong>

The Coca-Cola\u2019s launch on the Chinese market has been tricky. The American brand wanted to keep the same name and a pronunciation close to the original one. Consequently, some stores tried to translate by themselves resulting in \u201cKekoukela\u201d, which means \u201cMare filled with wax\u201d or \u201cBite the wax toad\u201d. Finally, Coca-Cola turned the pronunciation into \u201cKokoukole\u201d referring to \u201chappiness in the mouth\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. PEPSI: COME BACK WHEN YOU\u2019RE READY<\/strong>

The main competitor of Coca-Cola also suffered from a mistranslation when they entered the Chinese market. The advertising campaign was based on the slogan: \u201cCome alive with the Pepsi generation\u201d. But, the Chinese version was very different: \u201cPepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave\u201d. Not only did the translation have nothing to do with the original tagline, but it was perceived as offensive. Indeed, dead people are particularly sacred there. Another controversy broke out when Pepsi replaced its dark blue vending machines by light blue ones. Actually, light blue symbolizes death in the Chinese culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. AMERICAN AIRLINES : AN INNOVATIVE COMPANY<\/strong>

The biggest airlines company in the world failed an advertising campaign in Mexico to promote the new leather seats of its planes. The slogan \u201cFly in leather\u201d has been translated by \u201cVuela encuero\u201d, which means \u201cFly naked\u201d in Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If localization is not an art, it is at least a job that needs a real expertise. Since 2011, 2002 Studios Media works with talents from all over the world, bringing their expertise as natives. It allows us to guarantee to our clients a perfect pronunciation and a faithful rendition in terms of meaning. We provide all services you need for localization (Translation, Subtitling, Voice over, Dubbing, eLearning) and digital media production. We\u2019ll be happy to help you!<\/p>\n\n\n