Writing, Ten Global Translation Errors Made by Big Companies
9) General Motors' Chevrolet Nova vehicle translated in Spanish in Central and South America as: "No va", "It Doesn't Go";
8) Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?" in Mexico translated to: "Are You Lactating?"
7) Braniff Airlines launched a new leather first class seats ad campaign (1977-78) in the Mexican market: "Fly in Leather" meant "Fly Naked" (vuela en cuero);
6) Pepsi's "Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation" slogan translated in Chinese: "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave";
5) Colorado brewing company, Coors' "Turn It Loose" slogan translated in Spanish: "Suffer from Diarrhea";
4) Parker Pen's slogan "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you" translated in Mexico: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant";
3) Frank Perdue's famous chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken" translated in Spanish; "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate;
2) The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Kekoukela", meaning "Bite the Wax Tadpole" or "Female Horse Stuffed with Wax", depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent "kokoukole", translating into "Happiness in the Mouth."
All of these marketing mishaps are examples of how even the smallest translation error can greatly affect the intended marketing message and the consumer's reaction to that message. The hiring of a localization company that offers professional translation services could have saved these big companies a lot of money, time and resources. Fortunately, the examples above were harmless but skipping the proper localization and language research can cause to be very harmful to the public. Rounding off the number one translation error is Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a company that made a very serious mistake.
1) Mead Johnson Nutritionals had to recall two baby food products because the instructions on how the products were to be prepared had been incorrectly translated from English to Spanish. It was reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that if both products were prepared according to the incorrect Spanish translation they could have caused seizures, irregular heartbeat, renal failure and death.
Obviously this is a blunder no company wants to make and one that could have been avoided with the proper translation. If you're a company thinking about going global take time to research localization companies that offer professional translation services and ensure that the delivery of your marketing message is properly translated for your global market consumers.
Related Tags: professional translation, localization company
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing an Article
Here are 10 mistakes that writers tend to make when writing articles for newsletters or magazines. K - Invigorate Your Healthcare Writing With Words That Are Short, Sweet, And Full of Energy
There are certain kinds of phrasing and word choice, especially in official statements, that can soa - The Case For Customizing Content
You have to consider every angle when you are writing. There are lots of rules to follow and tips to - Writing Strategies For Creating Viral Content
For anybody involved in content marketing the need to develop writing strategies that will produce t - Three Key Ways a Writing Coach Can Improve Your College Admission Essay
In an article entitled "Writing The Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert", Parke Muth, Senior Assistan - Acquiring A Fantastic Proxy - Proxy List
A proxy or proxy server is applied for both effortless obtain to your certain useful resource like a - Turnkey Sites & Website Templates - A Comparison
I'm constantly finding emails soon after a person buys a offer of Site Desing templates. Some men an - Standard Manual For Laptop Or Computer Elements & Software
For many people today, computer system sections plus the innards of the computer system are anything - Different Kinds Of Cameras Can Be Used For Webcams
There are many physical components that make the technology of the PC camera webcam work. The import - What Can Pc Camera Webcam Bring To Us And How It Works?
The PC camera webcam can be used in a wide range of aspects. Such as personal "Big Brother" style di
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Don't Put Off Writing that Book!
If writing that book you've always had in mind tops your list of resolutions or regrets, hiring a wr - How To Write A Better Press Release
A press release is the most effective way to generate free publicity for your business or organizati - Writing on the Hoof
Finding inspiration when you are writing is often a haphazard affair. When you are physically ready - Focus On Nigeria
Focus on Nigeria Nigеria is a natural gas and oil rich country that is bordеrеd b - How to Write Great Dialogue in Your Book
Dialogue isn't so much read as it is heard by the reader. The eyes see the words on the page, the b - Women SUV Driver from www.thefrap.com
Why do so many women drive around in the oversized SUV's, the Tahoe, Excursion, Escalade - How To Write Good Articles
As a writer you may be ready to cash in on the need for web content. There is a lot of money that c - NEWS FLASH: Technical Communicator Saves World
I had a boss several years ago who was amused by my earnest and relentless preaching about the impor - Writers Resources
Writers use certain inherent talents to come up with their pieces of writing. However, they do need - Popular Articles
Articles are those that are available in plenty these days in the internet. The articles are written