International expansion – it‘s the dream of many a growth-minded business. The allure of tapping into new markets and capturing millions of new customers is endlessly enticing. But as many companies have learned the hard way, expanding abroad is a lot easier said than done.
The road to global domination is littered with the wreckage of failed international forays. Consider this:
- A study by KPMG found that over half of international expansions fail to meet their revenue goals
- According to Deloitte, 63% of executives cite cultural differences as the top risk in overseas growth
- The most common reasons for international expansion failures are lack of market research, insufficient localization, and poor partner selection per Velocity Global
Clearly, expanding abroad is a high-stakes endeavor fraught with pitfalls. Even the most iconic global brands have made head-scratching blunders when venturing into foreign markets. Their missteps are legendary – the stuff of marketing lore passed down through generations.
You‘ve probably heard some of these stories before. Tales of bungled slogans, offensive brand names, and packaging snafus that elicit snickers and eye rolls. But how many of these infamous international marketing bloopers really happened? Is the Chevy Nova "no go" in Latin America? Did the Gerber baby become a cannibal in Africa? Let‘s separate fact from fiction and uncover the truth behind 10 of the most notorious international expansion fails.
1. The Electrolux Sucks Scandal
The Tale: As the story goes, Swedish vacuum maker Electrolux got a little too edgy with its slogan when expanding to the US. It went with "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" – an ill-advised double entendre that didn‘t tickle American sensibilities like it had British ones.
The Truth: Mostly true. Electrolux did indeed use this slogan in the UK in the 1960s with great success. When it entered the US, it initially kept the same wording, which had a much more negative connotation to American ears. However, according to Snopes, no major American ad campaign actually used the "sucks" slogan. Electrolux quickly wised up and pivoted to the safer "Thinking of you" tagline stateside.
The Lesson: Always carefully screen your slogans for unintended meanings and cultural mismatches in new markets. What plays well in one country could badly misfire in another.
2. The Puffs Brothel Blunder
The Tale: When P&G expanded its Puffs tissue brand to Germany, it overlooked that "puff" is slang for a whorehouse. Its ads proudly proclaimed slogans like "I‘m looking for a Puff" to the amusement and horror of German consumers.
The Truth: True. This blunder really happened as recounted in David Ricks‘ book Blunders in International Business. P&G realized its error and promptly changed the brand name to Tempo for Germany and other European markets.
The Lesson: Thoroughly vet your brand name for any unfortunate translations, associations or cultural faux pas in local markets. Work with native speakers to identify problematic words.
3. The Gerber Baby Cannibal Myth
The Tale: When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, it used the same cute baby face logo as in the US. Africans were horrified, assuming this meant the jars contained ground up babies, since companies typically put pictures of the contents on their labels.
The Truth: Totally false. This outrageous claim is a complete urban legend with no factual basis. It‘s been debunked by Snopes, Africa Check and Gerber itself. In reality, Gerber has used its trademarked "Gerber Baby" illustration since 1928 with no issues. It‘s consistently ranked one of the most recognizable brand logos of all time.
4. The Pepsi Resurrection Confusion
The Tale: When Pepsi expanded to China, its slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi generation" translated to "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead." Chinese were appalled by this suggestion of necromancy from the soda maker.
The Truth: False with a grain of truth. Pepsi denies this blunder ever occurred. However, Pepsi did run into issues when it first entered the Chinese market in 1982. Its brash, youthful marketing messages clashed with traditional Chinese culture. Pepsi had to relocalize its brand voice and positioning to align with local values around health, harmony and family.
5. The Chevy Nova No-Go Debacle
The Tale: This is perhaps the most infamous example cited in international marketing lore. Supposedly, when Chevy launched its Nova model in Latin America, it flopped because "no va" means "doesn‘t go" in Spanish.
The Truth: 100% bogus. This blunder never actually happened, as confirmed by Snopes and HistoryNet. The Nova sold well in Mexico and Venezuela during the car‘s production run from 1962 to 1979. Plus, "nova" has its own meaning in Spanish – it translates to "new."
6. The Coors Diarrhea Dilemma
The Tale: When Coors used the slogan "Turn It Loose" for its marketing in Spain, it translated to "suffer from diarrhea" – an unappetizing proposition for a beer.
The Truth: Fiction. Many sources cite this as an example of translation gone awry. But according to David Wilton, author of Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends, there‘s no record of Coors ever using this slogan in Spanish-speaking markets.
7. The Clairol Manure Mist-ake
The Tale: When Clairol launched its "Mist Stick" curling iron in Germany, Germans were disgusted because "mist" is German slang for manure.
The Truth: Pure manure. This story really stinks – because it‘s not true at all. It‘s actually a bungled retelling of a Rolls-Royce myth about the Silver Mist model supposedly being renamed Silver Shadow due to "mist" meaning "manure" in German. That claim is also false, by the way.
8. The Parker Pens Pregnancy Predicament
The Tale: Parker Pens used the slogan "It won‘t leak in your pocket and embarrass you" when expanding to Mexico. But it mistranslated "embarazar" (to embarrass) and instead promised the pens wouldn‘t leak in your pocket and impregnate you.
The Truth: Mostly true. This blunder is recounted in several business books, including David Ricks‘ Blunders in International Business and Harvard Business Review. So it seems Parker did make an unfortunate slip up due to not understanding local idioms.
9. The KFC Finger Lickin‘ Flub
The Tale: KFC‘s famous slogan "Finger Lickin‘ Good" translated to "eat your fingers off" in Chinese. Not exactly the most appetizing mental image for fried chicken.
The Truth: Partly true. KFC did struggle with how to convey its slogan in Chinese. Early signs used a phrase that meant "so tasty you‘ll bite your fingers" before landing on "we do chicken right." But as KFC points out, its Chinese slogan has since become one of the most iconic brand taglines in China.
10. The HSBC Assume Nothing Assumption
The Tale: Banking giant HSBC had to rebrand its entire global private banking division at a cost of $10M when it realized its longstanding "Assume Nothing" slogan read as "Do Nothing" in many countries.
The Truth: True but misleading. HSBC did change its slogan from "Assume Nothing" to "The World‘s Private Bank" but not because of translation issues. After an aggressive global expansion, HSBC wanted to unify its branding across all markets with a single consistent tagline. The $10M figure refers to the entire global rebranding effort, not just swapping out the old slogan.
Lessons Learned
So what can we take away from these global marketing tales of woe and whimsy? A few key principles emerge:
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Always vet your brand names, slogans and messaging for cultural compatibility and proper meaning in local markets. Work with native speakers and in-country experts to avoid translation tragedies.
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Don‘t assume your existing marketing will resonate in new countries. Be willing to localize and adapt your branding, positioning and creative to align with local values, customs and idioms.
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Carefully research the competitive and cultural landscape in target markets before entry. Understand local consumer preferences, shopping habits and brand associations to tailor your go-to-market strategy.
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Invest in high-quality, professional translation services to ensure your messaging is accurately conveyed in local languages. Don‘t rely on raw machine translation or non-native speakers.
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Test your marketing content and assets with focus groups and customer panels in-market before going live. Identify and correct any red flags or faux pas before they cause major brand damage.
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Partner with reputable local agencies, distributors and marketers with on-the-ground knowledge to guide your expansion. They can help you navigate regulatory requirements, business norms and cultural nuances.
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Have a crisis communication plan in place to quickly respond to and correct any cultural missteps or brand blunders. Apologize authentically, take corrective actions and update processes to prevent future failures.
The road to worldwide success is a bumpy one, riddled with cross-cultural pitfalls. As you chart your course to new lands of opportunity, let these legendary international expansion blunders be your cautionary compass. Learn from the humbling mistakes of those who have gone before you and apply these hard-earned lessons to your own growth journey.
Expanding your brand abroad is not for the faint of heart. It requires rigorous research, thoughtful planning and a healthy dose of cultural humility. But by doing your due diligence and heeding the warnings of past missteps, you can avoid becoming yet another punchline in the annals of international marketing infamy.
After all, you don‘t want to be the next Electrolux or Chevy Nova – a mocking meme for marketing snafus. You want to be a shining example of global branding done right. So go forth and conquer new markets, intrepid company. Just be sure to leave the embarrassing faux pas at home.