Brands Lost in Translation

“One moment please?”

As simple as it may sound, the phrase you just read could mean very different things to different people, especially when in terms of cross-cultural communication. In the United States, for example, a “moment” means “instant,” something which will happen very quickly. However, in France, this same phrase is often interpreted to mean “I can’t do it immediately, or I’ll do it when I have time.” Despite how it may sound to an English-speaker, “un moment” or “un instant” to a francophone means something that could take a very long time—maybe about half an hour or so. Clearly, a lot can get lost in translation.

In China, the phrase can be summed up in one word: mashang（马上）, meaning “immediately.” But those from China or who have been there know that the reality is often far from “immediate.” Sometimes it could mean “eventually,” or “you’ll just have to wait patiently until I finish whatever I am doing.”

In today’s globalized world, interacting with people from different cultures on a daily basis is unavoidable, but it is also something that, just a few decades ago, would have been unthinkable; we are more connected than we have ever been, thanks to the incredible advancements in technology.  But when people from two or more cultures collide, each with different upbringings, educations, experiences, associations and preferences, miscommunication is bound to happen. It causes problems in our relationships and indeed in every form of human interaction. In the multi-cultural world we live in, we have no choice but to attempt to be “global citizens”with as much knowledge of other cultures as possible.

One of the things that Benjamin Joffe, a leading expert on Asia’s digital scene, learned from having spent the last 14 years in Asia—a few years each in Korea, China, and Japan—is that “even though English is the common language, the same word or phrase can mean very different things in different places.” He gave an example of the word “quality,” which for Americans, means something which works, is well-built, and durable. But in Korea, “quality” means “brand new,” while in Japan, it means “perfect and flawless.” Traditionally, Chinese people attach great importance to one’s social status; therefore, in China, a high quality product doesn’t have to be especially well-built or durable, as long as it raises your social status—thus increasing your perceived “quality.”

With so many different meanings attached to any given word, it’s no wonder so many businesses have failed in translation efforts to expand overseas and integrate both staff and business models across cultures. Theories and practices that work brilliantly in your home country might completely flop in another country. The above example is only the tip of the iceberg; Joffe said, “Imagine the different cultural meanings of words like ‘music,’ ‘romantic,’ ‘friends’ or even ‘fun.’”

If there’s one thing we can learn from Joffe’s example, it would be this: understanding the different mindsets of different cultures is a crucial step in the localization of a product or service; cultural awareness, taking into account the different cultural practices, customs and preferences need to be prioritized to ensure efficient communication.  No matter how good a product is or how flawless your marketing strategy is, if the message is not properly communicated to the target market, it may literally become lost in translation.

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