An American supervisor on an oil rig in Indonesia ordered his timekeeper to go ashore, causing a commotion among the workers. In response, a group of enraged workers chased the supervisor with axes due to the cultural norms of not publicly reprimanding Indonesians. Additionally, managers of an American company were surprised to find out that the brand name of the cooking oil they were selling in a Latin American country was translated into Spanish as “Jackass Oil.”
Pepsodent attempted to market its toothpaste in Southeast Asia by highlighting its teeth-whitening properties. However, they discovered that the indigenous people in the region chew betel nuts to darken their teeth, as they consider it appealing. Additionally, certain individuals took offense to Pepsodent’s slogan, “Wonder where the yellow went…” interpreting it as a derogatory remark towards a particular race. Alternatively, without understanding the foreign language, 3M introduced its scotch tape in Japan using the slogan “It sticks like crazy.” Unfortunately, the Japanese interpretation of the slogan translated to “it sticks foolishly.”
When Coca Cola was initially introduced to China in the 1920’s, it was translated phonetically as “ke-kou-ke-la” which meant “female horse stuffed with wax” or “bite the wax tadpole” depending on the dialect. The translation was soon modified to convey the concept of “happiness in the mouth.” In Egypt, Columbia Pictures faced a ban after releasing a movie that featured Pakistani accents, Moroccan clothing, and American behavior, leading to inaccuracies.
The depiction of Gamal Abdel Nassar, the Egyptian President, kissing his wife in public was extremely offensive, as it goes against Islamic cultural norms. Additionally, a company in Thailand made a misguided advertisement for eyeglasses featuring cute animals wearing glasses. This was a poor decision since animals are seen as inferior beings and no respectable Thai would wear something associated with them. Another instance of cultural misunderstanding occurred when Olympia office products tried to promote its ROTO photocopiers in Chile, unaware that “roto” can mean “broken” or be associated with the lower class in Chilean culture.
American Motors attempted to promote the Matador, its latest car, by positioning it as a symbol of bravery and power. Sadly, in Puerto Rico, the car’s name translates to “killer” and did not gain popularity due to the treacherous roads in the country. Ford faced several challenges when marketing its vehicles globally. For instance, its affordable truck, the Fiera, was perceived as “ugly old woman” in Spanish. Additionally, its model named Caliente in Mexico was discovered to mean “streetwalker” in local slang.
The Pinto was launched in Brazil as the Corcel, but it was soon realized that “Corcel” was Portuguese slang for a small male appendage. Consequently, Ford decided to replace the nameplates with the name Corcel, which means horse. Meanwhile, a significant American cereal company aired a commercial in England that specifically targeted children.
The English have a strong aversion to using children in commercials and the influence it has on them, resulting in the company being compelled to modify their commercial. A sales manager in Hong Kong endeavored to enforce punctuality among employees, requiring them to arrive on time instead of being 15 minutes late. They complied with the new rule, but then promptly left at the designated time instead of working into the evening as they had done before. This led to various unfinished tasks until the manager yielded and they resumed their customary schedule.
McDonald’s created a series of advertisements targeted towards Hispanics, but faced criticism from Puerto Rico that the ads were too heavily influenced by Mexican culture. As a result, they had to alter the ads. In Brazil, a shampoo called Evitol was marketed as a “dandruff contraceptive.” Kellogg had to change the name of its cereal, Bran Buds, in Sweden because the translation roughly meant “burned farmer.” Additionally, a telephone company tried to appeal to Latino customers by airing a commercial featuring a Latina wife urging her husband to call a friend and inform them of their lateness for dinner.
The commercial failed because Latino women do not boss their partners around, and they do not typically need to be informed about lateness. Parker Pen is a well-known international brand famous for its popular gift items, particularly the Jotter style. In some Latin American nations, the company had to change the name because it can be interpreted as “jockstrap.” When they advertised the ballpoint pen in Mexico, the intention was to convey that it would not leak in your pocket and cause embarrassment. However, due to a misunderstanding, the company mistakenly used the word “embarazar,” thinking it meant “embarrass,” resulting in the ads saying “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.” Pet Milk faced difficulties promoting its products in French-speaking countries as “pet” can have the meaning of “to break wind.”
The Sunbeam Corporation did not test market the name of its “Mist-Stick” in Germany, as “Mist” translates to “excrement” in German. Consequently, a “manure-stick” did not attract much interest. Similarly, Pepsico advertised Pepsi in Taiwan with the slogan “Come Alive With Pepsi,” only to discover that it was translated into Chinese as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.” In a similar vein, Esso S.A.F. realized that its name translates to “stalled car” in Japanese.
A saleswoman in Mexico was promoting the soft drink Fresca but was taken aback when her sales pitch was met with laughter. She later realized that fresca is slang for “lesbian.” In India, a new facial cream called “Joni” was planned to be marketed, but the name was changed due to its Hindi translation as “female genitals.” A cologne for men showcased a peaceful countryside setting with a man and his dog. However, when it was introduced in Islamic North Africa, the presence of a dog, considered unclean and a symbol of bad luck, posed a problem.
The German market resisted the American icon, Colonel Harlan Sanders’ KFC, due to consumers associating “Colonel” with the American military. In China, KFC found that their slogan, “finger-lickin good,” was mistakenly translated as “eat your fingers off.” American tourists in Arabic countries have attempted to speed up repairs on different items by setting deadlines, but this approach is generally disliked by Arabs who may feel threatened and cornered, often leading to the work never being completed.
General Motors was puzzled by the poor sales of the Chevy Nova in Latin America, until they were informed that in Spanish, “no va” translates to “it doesn’t go.” Proctor & Gamble made the mistake of airing a television commercial in Japan that had already been successful in Europe. The commercial depicted a woman taking a bath while her husband enters the bathroom and touches her. However, the Japanese found this advertisement to be an intrusion of privacy, inappropriate, and in very bad taste. In another instance, an American businessperson declined a cup of coffee from a Saudi businessman, which is considered extremely impolite and resulted in halted business negotiations.
A Japanese manager working for an American company faced difficulty in providing direct and confrontational feedback to a subordinate during a performance evaluation due to the cultural differences of using high context language. The manager had to make multiple attempts before being able to communicate the poor performance effectively to the American employee. Similarly, in Arab households, unlike in the United States, presenting a gift of food or drink to hosts as an American visitor might offend them as it signifies that they may not have the means to afford such items or are not trusted.
“All Tempa-Cheer” laundry detergent, promoted by Proctor and Gamble, had a successful campaign highlighting its ability to perform well in a wide range of temperatures. However, this message did not resonate with the Japanese audience, as they often wash clothes using cold water. There is an anecdote about an American couple who brought their pet poodle while traveling in an Asian country. During a visit to a restaurant, they encountered difficulty communicating to the waiter that their dog also needed food. Initially relieved when the waiter took their dog to the kitchen, assuming it would be fed, their relief turned to horror when the waiter returned later with the cooked dog!
One company decided to include the “OK” finger sign on every page of its catalog. However, this gesture is deemed offensive in various Latin American regions. As a result, they had to reprint all the catalogs, resulting in a loss of six months’ worth of work. Proctor & Gamble launched Cheer laundry detergent in Japan, showcasing its abundant suds in the advertisement. However, the Japanese typically utilize significant amounts of water and fabric softener, leading to a lack of suds formation. Additionally, Cheer was promoted as effective at all temperatures, which holds little significance for the Japanese, as they predominantly wash their clothes in cold water.
In Africa, Gerber promoted its well-known babyfood by displaying the image of the Gerber baby on the packaging. However, they were unaware that in this specific country, labels are solely used to depict what is inside the packaging. An advertisement for United Air Lines expressed their familiarity with the Orient, which was visually reinforced by featuring the names of different countries alongside pictures of foreign coins. However, numerous tourists remained unconvinced as there was a lack of correspondence between the countries and coins depicted. Not to be surpassed, UAL highlighted an article about Paul in their in-flight magazine.
The title of the article featuring Hogan, the star of Crocodile Dundee, was “Paul Hogan Camps it up”, which unfortunately translates to “flaunting homosexuality” in Australian slang. Johnson baby powder initially failed when it was introduced in the Japanese market. Japanese homes have limited space and prioritize simplicity and neatness. The dust that accumulated when the box was shaken proved to be intolerable for consumers. Johnson & Johnson later introduced a wipe on pad instead. Proctor and Gamble failed to recognize the fact that Japanese parents change baby diapers more frequently than American parents but often lack sufficient storage space.
Sales were initially weak for P&G until they acknowledged their mistake and started producing smaller boxes and thinner diapers. Similarly, General Foods faced difficulties when trying to market Jell-O in Great Britain using the same successful strategy that had worked in the U.S. Unfortunately, gelatin is only sold in its jellied form in Britain, and the powdered version is not considered acceptable. By promptly altering the product, potential issues were narrowly averted. Furthermore, Nike created a TV advertisement endorsing their shoes, featuring individuals from various countries saying “Just do it” in their respective native languages.
Too late they found out that a Samburu African tribesman was actually requesting for bigger shoes. A Hong Kong banker was disappointed because local customers refused to visit his office. Upon seeking advice from local business people, he discovered that the reason was attributed to “bad feng shui.” Seeking guidance from a geomancer, he was advised to relocate to a more auspicious office location, resulting in his clients eagerly utilizing his excellent services. During a trip to Japan, President George Bush, along with Lee Iacocca and other prominent American business figures, violated Japanese etiquette by directly making explicit demands on Japanese leaders.
To the Japanese, using high context language, it is deemed impolite and indicative of ignorance or desperation to resort to direct demands. Certain analysts argue that this had a significant negative impact on the negotiations and validated the belief among the Japanese that Americans are uncivilized. ~ Prior to approving a promotion that likened her Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York to the Taj Mahal, Leona Helmsley should have conducted thorough research. Time Magazine placed an advertisement in Spanish in its Brazilian edition, overlooking the fact that Portuguese is the primary language in Brazil.
Incidents involving cultural misunderstandings have resulted in negative consequences for certain businesses in various regions. For instance, a shoestore in Bangladesh faced destruction after local Muslims erroneously interpreted a Thom McAn logo on sandals as Arabic characters representing Allah. Similarly, McDonnell Douglas Corporation encountered challenges in India due to a promotional brochure featuring outdated photographs from National Geographic, which depicted men wearing turbans who were mistakenly identified as Pakistanis instead of Indians.
The Polaroid company made a decision in 1989 to introduce a slide copier in the European market. However, they did not consider the significant variation in standard paper sizes. As a result, they had to make last-minute adjustments, which caused unexpected additional expenses.
A golf ball manufacturing company in Japan packaged their golf balls in sets of four for easy purchase. Unfortunately, the pronunciation of the word “four” in Japanese resembles the word “death,” making items packaged in fours unpopular.
A major soapmaker conducted a test market for a soap name in 50 countries. The results of the test market were significant enough to compel them to change the name.
In most European languages, the proposed name meant “dainty,” in Gaelic it meant “song,” in Flemish it meant “aloof,” in one African language it meant “horse,” in Persian it meant “dim-witted,” in Korean it meant “crazy,” and in Slavic languages it was obscene. General Motors of Canada had the opportunity to sell 13,500 Chevy Malibus to Iraq. However, they soon discovered that the hot and dusty climate in Iraq was not suitable for the cars. Iraq declined to accept delivery of 12,000 cars. Although GM tried to modify the cars, Iraq faced political issues and the cars were never delivered. During a conversation, a college student complimented her English friend on her appealing wardrobe. The friend laughed because Americans were unaware that “pants” referred to underwear for Brits.
A soft drink was introduced in Arab countries with an appealing label featuring stars – specifically, six-pointed stars. However, the Arab population perceived this as a pro-Israeli symbol and therefore declined to purchase the drink. Consequently, another label was produced, which included ten languages, including Hebrew. Nevertheless, the Arabs still refrained from buying it.
In a separate incident, American medical containers were distributed in Great Britain, resulting in significant controversy. The innocuous instructions for Americans to “Take off top and push in bottom” carried strong sexual connotations to the British audience, causing quite a commotion.
In 1985, Bechtel withdrew from a joint venture in New Guinea, as the project appeared flawed from the beginning. The company had a timeframe of 33 months to construct a new facility, arrange various services, and meet a production deadline; otherwise, they would face financial penalties. Their plan involved situating a mine on top of a mountain within an isolated rainforest, establishing a town of 2,500 individuals, constructing camps for 400 people, building a power plant, an air strip, roads, hospitals, and providing support services for the native population who had no prior exposure to Westerners. Additionally, the recruited natives experienced an astonishing amount of rainfall (approximately 400 inches) during the rainy season. Moreover, these individuals had no understanding of private property, modern currency, central governance structures, or employment regulations.
The workforce was made up of a diverse group of 5,000 individuals, including indigenous people and technicians from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Korea, and the Philippines. Unfortunately, the road builders did not adhere to a continuous work schedule, leading to the contractor going bankrupt. Additionally, the indigenous workers were not fond of the work schedule either. In protest, they resorted to using bows and arrows to disrupt telephone lines, roads, and intimidate staff members. As a result, there was a significant 85% turnover rate among the native workers.
FEDEX decided to expand internationally after realizing that the domestic market was saturated. However, their successful centralized delivery system, known as “hub and spoke,” was not suitable for overseas distribution. Furthermore, they did not take into account cultural differences, such as the preference for late office hours in Spain and the practice of taking truck cleaning soap home in Russia due to consumer shortages. As a result, FEDEX eventually closed over 100 European operations after incurring losses of $1.2 billion.
When Coca Cola attempted to bring its successful two liter bottle to Spain, it faced a setback. The company had to withdraw the bottle from the Spanish market because it realized that the refrigerator compartments were not big enough to accommodate the liter size. However, a recent e-mail from a student working for Coke in Spain contradicts this, stating that the bottle was actually taken off the market due to design and recycling reasons and was later reintroduced. Thanks to Rob for sharing this information! On a similar note, a U.S. napkin company advertised in Great Britain claiming that their napkins were perfect for dinner tables. However, the sales were not impressive as the British refer to “napkin” as a “diaper.”
In Quebec, a newspaper ad was placed by an American-based canned fish manufacturer. It featured a woman wearing shorts playing golf with a man, suggesting that she could play golf and still have time to make a dinner using canned fish. Unfortunately, the ad overlooked the local customs prohibiting women from wearing shorts on golf courses, playing golf with mixed teams, and serving canned fish as a main dish.
The Disney Corporation underestimated the food and accommodation requirements, as well as the souvenir purchasing habits of visitors to EuroDisney in France. This miscalculation resulted in the temporary closure of the 1,100-room Newport Bay Club during the Winter of 1992. Negotiators from the United States and Britain reached an impasse when the American company suggested that they “table” certain critical issues.
In the U. S., “tabling a motion” refers to not discussing it, while in Great Britain it means to “bring it to the table for discussion.” An American banker in England unintentionally drew nervous laughter by stating he was “full” and “stuffed” after dinner, which are euphemisms for being drunk and sexually involved in British slang. McDonald’s faced many complaints from local authorities in 1988 when it displayed the Mexican national flag on its placemats, as the Mexicans were offended by grease and ketchup damaging their national symbol, resulting in the quick confiscation of the placemats.
Mountain Bell Company attempted to advertise their telephone and services to Saudi Arabia. One of their ads featured an executive talking on the phone with his feet resting on the desk, displaying the soles of his shoes – an action considered taboo in Arab culture. In the Japanese market, the American slogan for Salem cigarettes, “Salem – feeling free!”, was translated as “When smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty.”
An American t-shirt maker based in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market promoting the Pope’s visit. However, the desired phrase “I saw the Pope” was mistakenly translated into Spanish as “I saw the Potato.” Another example of a mistranslation occurred with chicken-man Frank Perdue’s slogan, “It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken,” which was inaccurately translated into Spanish. Billboards featuring a picture of Perdue and one of his chickens were placed all over Mexico with the caption, “It takes a man to make a chicken aroused.” Similarly, in Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water resulted in the name being translated as “Schweppes Toilet Water.” Lastly, China remains cautious about economic advances from Japan due to their past conflict during the war.
