One important point that is obvious .. is that we all have different personalities. Numerous problems result from the failure to adapt packaging for other cultures. Sometimes only the color of the package needs to be altered to enhance a product’s sales. For Ex. white symbolizes death in Japan and much of Asia; green represents danger or disease in Malaysia. Again, using the wrong color in these countries might produce negative reactions. Talking from experience…when funding is involved … you want to cover all corners.
Some product names travel poorly. For instance, the gasoline company ESSO found out that its name means” stalled car” in Japan. However, some company names have traveled well. Kodak may be the most famous example. A research team deliberately developed this name after searching for a word that was pronounceable everywhere but had no specific meaning anywhere.
Social norms vary greatly from country to country and it is difficult for any outsider to be knowledgeable about all of them, so local input is very vital. Ex. one firm promoted eyeglasses in Thailand with commercials featuring animals wearing glasses. However, in Thailand animals are considered a low form of life; humans would never wear anything worn by an animal.
Last example: The translations of an advertising message convey the concept of the original but do not precisely duplicate the original. PepsiCo. learned this lesson when it reportedly discovered that its slogan “Come alive with Pepsi” was translated into German as “Come alive out of the grave with Pepsi.” In Asia, the slogan was once translated as “Bring your ancestors back from the dead.”
