The Japanese tourist agency Kinki Nippon Tourist Company decided to change its name after it entered its first English-speaking market and began getting inquiries for sex tours.
Some brand names can create headaches for marketers when the local language gives the brand a different meaning. Somehow the automotive industry seems particularly prone to these often-funny blunders. Ford introduced a low-cost truck, the “Fierra”. Unfortunately the name meant “ugly old woman” in Spanish. Ford also introduced the “Caliente” in Mexico. The word is slang for streetwalker. And we all know about the Pinto, which in Portuguese means “small male appendage.” For more on ‘blunders in international business’, read David A. Rick's book.
GM could be faced with a similar issue in Québec with its new Buick LaCrosse.
In Québécois slang, “se crosser” means “to masturbate”. But that doesn’t seem to be a major concern at GM Canada.
"We will use the Buick LaCrosse nameplate across all of Canada. Previously, we used Allure across all of Canada," George Saratlic of GM of Canada's product communications told the National Post.
GM says it plans to put more emphasis on Buick than it has
in the past and adopting a common name for the sedan will help the automaker
leverage the major advertising and creative campaign being developed for its
launch in the U.S.
Saratlic adds: "We are confident that this approach will have long-term benefits that will outweigh any short-term issue that may exist surrounding the vehicle's name.”
I guess the jury is out on that one. Jean-Charles Chébat, marketing professor at the HEC in Montréal is quoted in today’s French issue of Marketing Online: “It’s not an appropriate name for Québec.” (The translation is mine.)
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