Every culture has concepts that other cultures simply do not understand. ‘The cow went into the swamp” (“A vaca foi para o brejo”) is a Brazilian Portuguese expression that means a situation has gone very wrong and is almost impossible to fix. When you put that expression into ChatGPT or Google, you will get the literal translation, not the implied meaning.

Concepts of priorities differ radically between cultures. Brazilian meetings are often interrupted by calls from family because maintaining those relationships is more important than business.

Marketing for Africa should be focused on mobile-first messages and building trust through storytelling. Marketing for the Arab world should focus on family and religious traditions. While Americans are quick to claim that their solutions “create” a feeling or benefit, that word should be avoided in translations. For devout Muslims, only God – not humans – can “create” anything.

Culturally, should your message be long and explanatory (as in Japan and China) or factual and straightforward (as in Germany, Austria and Switzerland)? Should you use more words or more images? That depends on the culture as well as the generation you are addressing.

Should your message focus on building long-term relationships and trust (as in China, Korea, Japan and India) or on solving immediate needs (as in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam)? Or should your messages focus on finding value in tough times (as in Brazil and Argentina)?

German advertising often contains what English calls “run-on sentences.” And those don’t always express benefits and appeals that Americans seek. Direct translations for English speakers therefore require an additional acculturation step.

Even if you are not targeting countries, these tips can apply to targeting immigrant cultures.

Have you asked your language agency to verify that your company name, product names and slogans work in key language markets? Car companies especially have lost millions because they forgot this very inexpensive test before marketing abroad. (and No, the Chevy “Nova” example in Mexico did not happen; it is a myth).

When you seek to translate marketing messages through Chat or Google, this is not the kind of information which either will tell you … unless you know the questions to ask.

A professional language agency can advise about all these issues .... warning that your US text, images, colors, approach or names will not appeal to your targeted language audiences. Better to know now than to spend huge sums to find out later that your message bombed.

BLOOPERS

Other examples of messages with incorrect meanings often appear in English signs abroad:

• An Arabic sign translated into English read, “Dead slow children playing.”
• A French sign in English read, “Thank you to leave the toilets in the state where you would find the entrance.”
• An Italian sign in English read, “For proper service, turn on the vacuum cleaner when using the shower.”

Clearly, these writers like hundreds of others did not rely on language professionals to express their intent clearly. When your message is critical and when you require precision and accuracy, please ask for a Free Quote based on the 35 years of cultural expertise at Auerbach International.

An employee of the firm Standard & Poors did not take our advice. She presented her Google Translated business card in China that rendered her company name as “Average & Bankrupt.”

We will be delighted to ensure that such mistakes do not happen to you.