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    Marketing Cultural Mistakes

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    Mohamed Zakarya
    This document discusses common marketing mistakes made by international companies due to failures to understand cultural differences. It provides examples of translation errors, such as KFC's slogan in China being translated to "Eat your fingers off" and Electrolux's slogan in the US meaning "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." It also gives examples of cultural errors, such as Pepsi changing its vending machine color in Southeast Asia to light blue which is associated with death, and P&G airing an ad in Japan considered an invasion of privacy. The document stresses the importance of cultural literacy for international marketers to avoid offensive interpretations.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Marketing Cultural Mistakes

    Uploaded by

    Mohamed Zakarya
    163 views23 pages
    This document discusses common marketing mistakes made by international companies due to failures to understand cultural differences. It provides examples of translation errors, such as KFC's slogan in China being translated to "Eat your fingers off" and Electrolux's slogan in the US meaning "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." It also gives examples of cultural errors, such as Pepsi changing its vending machine color in Southeast Asia to light blue which is associated with death, and P&G airing an ad in Japan considered an invasion of privacy. The document stresses the importance of cultural literacy for international marketers to avoid offensive interpretations.

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    Marketing Cultural Mistakes - International mistakes

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    This document discusses common marketing mistakes made by international companies due to failures to understand cultural differences. It provides examples of translation errors, such as KFC's slogan in China being translated to "Eat your fingers off" and Electrolux's slogan in the US meaning "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." It also gives examples of cultural errors, such as Pepsi changing its vending machine color in Southeast Asia to light blue which is associated with death, and P&G airing an ad in Japan considered an invasion of privacy. The document stresses the importance of cultural literacy for international marketers to avoid offensive interpretations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    163 views23 pages

    Marketing Cultural Mistakes

    Uploaded by

    Mohamed Zakarya
    This document discusses common marketing mistakes made by international companies due to failures to understand cultural differences. It provides examples of translation errors, such as KFC's slogan in China being translated to "Eat your fingers off" and Electrolux's slogan in the US meaning "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." It also gives examples of cultural errors, such as Pepsi changing its vending machine color in Southeast Asia to light blue which is associated with death, and P&G airing an ad in Japan considered an invasion of privacy. The document stresses the importance of cultural literacy for international marketers to avoid offensive interpretations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 23

    International Marketing

    Marketing Mistakes
    Related to Culture
    To: Dr. Amr Kheir-El-Din | By: Mohamed Zakarya | ESLSCA47C
    Assignment # 3
    Date: April 2nd , 2016

    Contents

    Introduction

    Mistakes By
    1. Translation
    2. Cultural Errors

    Introduction
    Culture is the set of values, beliefs, rules, and institutions held by a specific group of people.
    Main components include: aesthetics, values and attitudes, manners and customs, social
    structure, religion, personal communication, education, and physical and material environments.
    Managers working directly in international business should develop cultural literacydetailed
    knowledge about a culture that enables a person to function effectively within it.

    Globalization is one force creating the need for cultural literacy because it is knitting business
    activities in various countries more closely together than ever before. Cultural literacy improves
    the ability of managers to manage employees and business expansion opportunities in other
    markets
    Decision Makers who fails to develop such cultural literacy sometimes face errors while trying
    to tailor the message to other cultures

    Translation

    KFC
    While most businesses try to make a
    good impression while expanding
    into a foreign country, fried-chicken
    franchise KFC got off on the wrong
    foot when it opened in China in the
    late 1980s. When the company
    opened its doors in Beijing, the
    restaurant had accidentally translated
    its infamous slogan "Finger-licking'
    good" to a not-so-appetizing phrase:
    "Eat your fingers off."

    Electrolux
    Not all translation blunders have been
    limited to U.S.-based companies.
    Swedish vacuum maker Electrolux got a
    quick lesson in English slang when it
    introduced its products in the states.
    Thinking it was highlighting its vacuum's
    high power, the Scandinavian company's
    ad campaign centered on the tagline
    "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." While
    the
    slogan
    might
    have
    been
    grammatically correct, it never really
    took off with U.S. shoppers

    Pepsi
    in Chinese
    Pepsis Come alive with the
    Pepsi Generation translates into
    Pepsi brings your ancestors
    back from the grave

    The Dairy Association


    The Dairy Associations huge
    success with the campaign
    Got Milk? prompted them to
    expand advertising to
    Mexico. It was soon brought
    to their attention the Spanish
    translation of the slogan read
    Are you lactating?

    Schweppes
    In Italy, a campaign for
    Schweppes Tonic Water
    translated the name into
    "Schweppes Toilet Water."

    General Motors
    General Motors introduced the
    Chevy Nova in South America, it was
    apparently unaware that "no va"
    means "it won't go."
    After the company figured out why it
    wasn't selling any cars, it renamed
    the car in its Spanish markets to the
    Caribe

    Ford
    Ford is with its Fiera. Ford tried to sell
    its low-cost truck Fiera in less
    developed countries. Unfortunately,
    Fiera translated means Old Ugly
    Woman. Understandably, the name
    did not create a buzz in the market.

    Gerber
    Gerber, the name of the famous baby
    food maker, is also the French word
    for vomiting. It becomes a bit limiting
    when you go global... Gerber is
    therefore not in France

    Gerber has a French Canadian web


    page, it says "Les aliments pour bbs Gerber
    ne sont disponibles pour l'instant qu'aux tatsUnis" (French for: The baby food isn't

    here, try the U.S.)

    Panos
    Belgian sandwich retailer Panos
    decided to export to Russia, it
    would have been helpful to know
    a bit upstream the meaning of
    Panos in Russian, as its
    translation diarrhea

    Puffs
    Puffs an American
    Facial tissue
    manufacturer didnt
    go well in Germany as

    Puffs means Brother in


    German

    Cultural Errors

    Pepsi
    Pepsi Cola lost it dominant
    market share to Coke in South
    East Asia when Pepsi changed
    the color of its vending
    machines and coolers from
    deep "Regal" blue to light "Ice"
    blue as Light blue is associated
    with death and mourning in SE
    Asia

    Pepsodent
    Pepsodent tried to sell its toothpaste
    in Southeast Asia by emphasizing
    that it whitens your teeth. This
    product benefit did not resonate
    with the target audience considering
    the local natives chew betel nuts to
    blacken their teeth, which they find
    attractive

    P&G
    Proctor & Gamble used a
    television commercial in Japan
    that was popular in Europe. The
    ad showed a woman bathing, her
    husband entering the bathroom
    and touching her. The Japanese
    considered this ad an invasion of
    privacy, inappropriate behavior,
    and in very poor taste

    Umbro
    British sporting goods company Umbro called it
    new pair of shoes The Zyklon. Many NGOs
    and consumers complained about the use of
    this term, which is the name of the gas used by
    the Nazis to exterminate millions of Jews in the
    camps during WW2.

    Heineken
    In 1994 world cup soccer tournament Heineken was
    engaged in special promotional campaign
    The company had the flags of all of the countries
    qualifying world cup finals imprinted under the bottle
    cap of their beer brand

    Among numerus flags portrayed was that of Saudi


    Arabia

    It was considered offensive to the Muslim all over the


    world

    Kenneth Cole
    In early 2011, a tweet was sent out
    from Kenneth Cole's Twitter account
    trying to promote their new spring
    collection. No big deal, right? Except
    when it's offensive, insensitive, and
    offends millions of people. The
    tweet was a poor play on the
    political turmoil happening at the
    time in Egypt:

    Radio Shack
    Staged Christmas promotion in
    Holland targeting 25th December
    Dutch Celebrate St. Nicholas Day on
    December 6th

    Thank You

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