Crossover marketing mistakes happens all the time. However we try to avoid it, we often
see the mistake to late. Having a poor
understanding of the influence of cross cultural differences can eventually
lead to blunders that can have damaging consequences. Some people find it comical
others offensive. So let us end this
blog with 10 humorous crossover marketing blunders. Try not to laugh.
1. Locum
is a Swedish
company. As most companies do at Christmas they sent out Christmas cards to
customers. In 1991 they decided to give their logo a little holiday spirit by
replacing the "o" in Locum with a heart. Enough said.
2. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, Later on they found out it was the name of a notorious naughty magazine.
3. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." Really?
4. In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water.
5. Honda introduced their new car "Fitta" into Nordic countries in 2001. If they had taken the time to undertake some cross cultural marketing research they may have discovered that "fitta" was an old word used in vulgar language to refer to a woman's genitals in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. In the end they renamed it "Honda Jazz".
6. The soft drink Fresca was being promoted by a saleswoman in Mexico. She was surprised that her sales pitch was greeted with laughter, and later embarrassed when she learned that “fresca” is slang for "lesbian."
7. 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."
8. Engadget, a web magazine, famously called
out Sony's PSP campaign in 2006 as being clearly racist. The ads were promoting
the new white PSP. The ads featured an aggressive, strong-looking white woman
clawing, clutching and otherwise dominating a subordinate black woman. The
campaign was universally panned as racist and Sony yanked the ads, apologizing
for its lack of sensitivity.
9. "Traficante" an
Italian mineral water found a great reception in Spain's underworld. In Spanish
it translates as "drug dealer".
10. In the late 1970s, Wang, the American computer company could not understand why its
British branches were refusing to use its latest motto "Wang Cares".
Of course, to British ears this sounds too close to "Wankers" which
would not really give a very positive image to any company.
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