Although not a business school example, this is a good
illustration of how international marketing is fraught with problems even when
two nations share the same language.
George Bernard Shaw said that ‘America and Britain are two
nations divided by a common language’ and on a recent business trip to the US I
certainly found that to be true.
Visiting a local Dunkin Donuts store for breakfast one day I was struck
by the slogan on their paper bags – ‘America runs on Dunkin’. Being a Simpson’s fan and seeing
Homer’s regular intake of donuts (or should I say doughnuts) this seemed to be
stretching the brand’s credibility to breaking point.
However, talking to an American on the plane home it appears
that the reference is not specifically to the donuts, but to the coffee served by Dunkin
Donuts, which apparently has a great reputation. You can see the latest commercial at https://www.dunkindonuts.com/
Translating copy is difficult enough at the best of
times. One business school on its
website had translated from French to produce the English word ‘notoriety’,
conjuring up a rather different view from what they meant, which was
‘reputation’. Add in a degree of
cultural differences and you have a recipe for misunderstanding.
