Localization Gone Wrong

Globalizing a business entity is a demanding task. While localization is vital when expanding internationally, translation discrepancies could lead to considerable losses if not done correctly. Check out some of the most notable blunders from high profile companies.

1.      KFC: While their “finger lickin’ good” campaign received great response state side, the infamous slogan was not so appetizing when the company opened its first chains in China as it was accidentally translated the phrase to “Eat your fingers off”. Although the blunder did not lead to any significant consequences to the restaurant brand, the slogan definitely did not appeal to the public.  

2.      Coors: When American beer makers, Coors brought their “Turn It Loose” campaign to Spain, the tagline was mistranslated to an expression that is commonly interpreted as “Suffer from diarrhea” in Spanish. Far from resonating with consumers, the campaign attracted the attention of many for all the wrong reasons.

3.      Ford: To feature the distinctive mechanics of its automobiles, Ford launched a campaign in Europe meant to suggest “Every car has a high-quality body”. Problems arose when the translated slogan turned out to amount to “Every car has a high-quality corpse”. This horrific translation was definitely not the best way to make a sale.

4.      HSBC Bank: In 2009, HSBC extended its “Assume Nothing” campaign to a number of countries overseas. Unfortunately, the message was translated into “Do Nothing”, not the best image to be associated with. Since the blunder, the company has resorted to a more translation friendly tagline: “The world’s local bank”.