Marketing

Languages can create barriers when introducing a brand to an international market. Many companies spend a lot of money on creating striking slogans for their primary markets, but give little thought to how they will be conveyed internationally!

Some of the biggest brands have suffered setbacks overseas, mainly because they did not invest in researching the foreign market and scrimped on localisation costs when launching their campaigns globally!

Whilst often quite amusing, these mistranslations are embarrassing for the company and damaging for business.

Here are some of the more famous examples of global advertising campaigns gone wrong…

Pepsi had their slogan “Pepsi brings you back to life” literally translated into Chinese as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead…” – truly frightening!

Ford found that sales weren’t doing so well when marketing their Ford Pinto in Brazil… it turned out that the word Pinto means ‘tiny male genitals’ in Brazilian Portuguese!

When KFC first launched in China in the 80s, their slogan “finger-lickin’ good” was translated to “eat your fingers off”… maybe not the best advert for a fried food company!

Tongue Tied has extensive experience in international marketing and branding services.

Our marketing translators are:

Professionally qualified to degree level, Masters or local equivalent

Native speakers only

Based in the country where the translated material will be used

Members of local professional bodies

Highly experienced within the international marketing sector

Familiar with contemporary market sector terminology

Our marketing translations are:

Accurate: We provide accurate translations in the style of your original document. All our translations are proofread by a qualified native translator.

Comprehensive: Our typesetting team will return your translation in the same layout and format as the original. We also provide a full printing.

Efficient: We use the latest industry software to build a unique translation memory for each of our clients. This means that repeated text is not translated from scratch each time and lowers the price you pay for the translation!

Confidential: All our translators sign a non-disclosure agreement with Tongue Tied.

For more information on our marketing language services, please contact us:

Tel: +44 (0)1606 352 527

E-mail: marketing@tongue-tied-nw.co.uk