8 Hilarious Advertising Translation Fails

Every brand wants to go global and expand into foreign markets. One of the most vital things is to invest in marketing translation and localize campaigns to fit your organization’s target markets. Slogans are always an effective way to let consumers know about a company. However, even crafting a simple slogan can prove difficult without help from language service providers, especially when dealing internationally. LSPs can help companies understand the local culture, habitats, and languages to create successful marketing campaigns in these countries. Here are some funny examples of advertising translation fails.

 

Car Manufacturers Need Accurate Advertising Translation

It seems that car companies struggle the most with marketing campaigns. Many prominent manufacturers have made errors when translating their slogans for non-English speaking markets, which can lead to amusing results.

 

Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors clearly failed to hire adequate translation services. It did not translate the vehicle name “Pajero” in Spanish, which means “wanker” in Spanish, when Mitsubishi Motors entered the European market.

 

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz entered the Chinese market under the brand name “Bensi,” which means “rush to die.” Mercedes-Benz then modified its name to “Benchi”, which means “run quickly”, and has now become one of the most popular brands in China.

 

General Motors

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, the company was unaware that the Spanish expression, “No Va”, meant “It won’t go.”

 

Food Companies Need Advertising Translation Services

Even food companies have made hilarious mistakes when translating their slogans from English to other languages.

 

KFC

When KFC opened its first restaurant in Beijing, a cannibalistic translation error changed “finger-licking good” to “eat your fingers off.”

 

Coors

Coors launched a campaign in Spain with its slogan, “Turn it loose”. However, the customers didn’t rush out to buy the beer because they were puzzled over the Spanish translation: “suffer from diarrhea.”

 

American Dairy Association

It is another Spanish translation fail. While the American Dairy Association’s “Got Milk?” campaign was very successful among English speakers in the States, Spanish-speaking people were confused about why the association would translate its slogan to “Are you lactating?”

 

 

Other Companies Who Need Advertising Translation

 

American Airlines

To advertise their leather seats, American Airlines used the slogan “Fly in Leather,” which translated in Spanish for the market in Mexico as “Fly Naked.”

 

Parker Pen

When Parker Pen was advertised in Mexico, it wanted to use its slogan, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you,” which was used in Spain even though it translated to “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

 

 

A foreign market always means more potential to increase your profitability. If you can localize your product effectively, there is no doubt your organization see an increase in profits.

The most efficient way is to hire an agency that provides professional translation and localization services. The translation experts will be helpful in document translation, marketing translation, and even video translation, making sure your marketing slogans will not become a laughing stock!

 

6 Industries That Need Korean Translation Services

Do you like listening to K-pop music or watching K-pop videos? Have you ever seen Korean drama programs? More people like Korean culture, and many have even started learning Korean. Surprisingly, Korean is the ninth most spoken language in North America, with about 1.2 million speakers. Most of these speakers live in the United States. Meanwhile, Korean language translation services are becoming more and more critical in the business fields. About 85% of medium and small enterprises in South Korea are trying to establish international branches. One of the many reasons why corporations are expanding into the South Korean market is that South Korea is ranked sixteenth in the top countries for business. Korean industries are also looking to expand into new overseas markets. In both cases, Korean translation services are in high demand.

 

Ecommerce and Korean Translation Services

Ecommerce is the first on the industry list. Because South Korea has the fastest internet speed worldwide, web-based businesses benefit from the internet speed and could grow quickly. Luckily, ecommerce translation can help.

 

Technology and Korean Translation Services

Since South Korea has a very high rate of Internet usage at 93% in 2021, it is wise to launch new platforms and software in the country.

 

FinTech and Korean Translation Services

Due to a focus by the Korean government on supporting fintech development, Korea is an excellent place for fintech expansion. Hiring a fintech translation provider can grant access to this burgeoning sector.

 

Fashion

With the influence of K-Pop trends from Korea, the fashion scene is booming. Estimated to grow to more than $26 million by 2024, the fashion world can expect to reach many new customers by entering the Korean market.

 

Cosmetics

The cosmetics industry in South Korea is expanding its influence abroad. Korea’s cosmetics industry focuses on health and wellness, and its beauty products emphasize a natural look. In addition, attractive packaging and reasonable prices are also its features.

 

Tourism

The U.S. remains one of the top five destinations for South Korean outbound tourists. It has always been the top choice for non-Asian and long-haul destinations. Koreans overwhelmingly choose the U.S. as their travel destination, mainly because of the variety of travel opportunities and American-style shopping; fine dining; theme parks; cultural attractions in major U.S. cities; relatively inexpensive golf experiences, and U.S. national parks.

 

Finding the Right Korean Translation Services Provider

Whether your business is considering expanding to South Korea or from South Korea to other countries, finding the correct translation service provider is crucial. The success of marketing in South Korea depends on the quality and dedication of the translators.Luckily,  Language Connections can provide professional translation services to help your business succeed.

 

How Ecommerce Translation Services Can Boost Your Business

Coronavirus devastated the world economy. Physical markets and shops were closed, and employees were sent home for safety purposes. However, the ecommerce industry flourished during the pandemic. Thanks to the Internet, it became easy to buy products from around the world with a simple click of the mouse. Here’s how ecommerce translation services can help your business thrive in today’s global economy.

 

The Important of Ecommerce Translation Services

According to a recent evaluation of the ecommerce market , China has the largest ecommerce market size at $672 billion, far above the US’s $340 billion.

As this industry continues to rise, ecommerce translation has become essential to successful selling products and services as well as building your brand. 75% of customers reported they prefer to purchase products on an ecommerce website if it is in their native language. Therefore, investing in professional translation and localization services to ensure your website is properly translated into the languages of your target markets can promote trust in your brand and improve the user experience.

 

Top Online Shopping Sites Need Ecommerce Translation Services

The business potential of online shopping is vast, and there are several well-known online shopping sites.

 

Amazon

Amazon is one of the most popular online marketplaces used by individuals and businesses. Over 2.5 billion shoppers visit monthly, and you’ll get access to its huge customer base once you join Amazon. The company’s size ensures that marketplaces are available in the majority of countries in the world.

 

Shopify

Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms. Unlike Amazon, Shopify lets you get your own space to set up and run a business. It powers over 1 million businesses in approximately 175 countries through its platform.

 

eBay

eBay is an online shopping site best known for its auctions and consumer-to-consumer sales. eBay is also available in many countries. The main feature of eBay is that consumers can search for products available nationally or internationally. Millions of transactions go through every single day.

 

Most ecommerce platforms support cross-country operations. In order to scale your business and gain more market share, it is necessary to translate your products or services into different languages.

 

Ecommerce Translation Services: Machine vs. Human

Translation is an essential tool for communication between international ecommerce businesses.

An auto-translation program such as Google Translate is the most accessible and economical way to get a translation done. But online translation services may copy the same grammatical structure and do literal word-for-word translations. Certain words or terms take on very different meanings when translated in this manner,..

In contrast, business translation services can precisely translate a text’s tone, slang, cultural and contextual references, and idioms. They can also provide accurate localization services. You can get a professional translation service through a translation agency or a freelance translator, however hiring a dedicated language service provider with experience working the space is preferable.

 

How A Chinese Translation Service Can Transform Your Business

Did you know that Chinese is the third most spoken language in the U.S.? China has the largest population in the world at around 1.4 billion people. The Chinese diaspora exists on almost every continent; in the U.S., 3.5 million households speak Mandarin or Cantonese at home. Considering the fact that China is an emerging and competitive market, hiring professional language translation services can help your business expand into the Chinese market.

 

A Chinese Translation Service Can Navigate the Complex Language

The evolution of Chinese characters was a long progress that began with the earliest Chinese hieroglyphs and have culminated in today’s simple characters. Today, simple Chinese characters are the most commonly used language in mainland China.

While other regions of China, such as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, have created their own distinct dialects and written forms, in these regions, they prefer to use traditional Chinese characters instead.

These variations make Chinese a unique challenge for translators and providers of interpreting services. For example, if your company has contracts with both the Shanghai branch and the Hong Kong branch of a Chinese company, a professional agency can ensure that the language contained in both contracts is precise, thus avoiding potential legal problems.

 

A Chinese Translation Service Provides Industry Knowledge

In the 1990s, China’s industrial development entered the world stage. During the first ten years of the 21st century, China’s industrial development has become a crucial to the world’s industrial development and comprises a significant part of the world economy. For instance, the Chinese economy can be separated into 41 major industrial categories, 191 medium categories, and 525 subcategories, making it the only country with all industrial categories according to the United Nations Industrial Classification.

At present, China is laying out the world’s cutting-edge high-tech strategic emerging industries, including cloud computing, big data, health, mobile Internet, robotics, 3D printing, new advanced materials, autonomous driving, new energy vehicles, renewable energy, aerospace, genomics, and other industries and technologies.

No matter what industry you are in, there are always many opportunities to deal with Chinese companies, whether your suppliers, customers, or even employees. Professional Chinese translation services can help you conduct business effectively should you decide to expand into this growing market.

 

A Chinese Translation Service Can Attract More Clients

There are numerous Chinese companies globally. You can find the “Made in China” label on most of the products you buy from the mall. If you want to work with a Chinese company or find potential business partners, communicating with your potential clients in Chinese needs to be clear and efficient. However, it becomes complicated to put the documents into other languages rather than in Chinese most of the time.

Thus, for those who want to cooperate with Chinese companies, it is necessary to invest in document translation services, legal translation services, and other translation services for business. With the help of Chinese language translation services, you could quickly get to work with the different brands in the China market.

 

 

3 Ways French Translation Services Can Aid Your Organization

Have you ever noticed that a lot of products in the U.S. always have a French translation on them? Whether you have or not, a lot of industries invest in French translation services. Spanish translation might be a more logical choice. However, the reasons for French translation are not necessarily practical but rather serve a marketing purpose. The French language is often associated with sophistication and luxury. Purchasing French translation services from a professional translation company could help your organization seem more high-end and trendy. This is perhaps best exemplified by luxury brands like Dior, Chanel or Yves Saint-Laurent. In order to tap into the French market, you might want to invest in translation services. Hiring a professional translator can create more effective marketing and foster more influential partnerships.

To illustrate this idea better, we determined three ways that French translation services can help your organization succeed:

 

1. French Translation Services Can Clean Up Your Organization’s Image

Since the French language is linked to elegance and sophistication, French translation services can enhance your organization’s image. For example, almost all labels for cosmetic products are in French, mainly because the most popular brands are French. However, this is not always the case. If you go grocery shopping you might also notice that some products are translated in French only, not Spanish in order to create a sense of luxury. Another reason might be the U.S.’s proximity. Because one of Canada’s official languages is French, maintaining the same French labels allows providers to distribute the same products in the U.S. and Canada without having to change the packaging.

 

2. French Translation Services Will Attract Bigger Clients

You might be wondering what the size of the clients have to do with French but it goes hand and hand with the fact that some of the biggest brands in the world are French. For instance, if you purchase French translation services, you could get to work with the big brands that dominate the French market. If you work for a government organization, investing in government translation services can even foster better economic relations between foreign and French-speaking nations.

 

3. Translation Increases Your Audience

Obviously translating important materials into French can increase your organization’s audience. Establishing your organization as a globally-conscious brand is essential in our interconnected world. Therefore, making sure all marketing materials are translated professionally is critical to business success. French translation could also involve getting patent translation for legal purposes and even an interpreter for meetings to meet with clients and make things go smoothly.

 

Top 5 Most Important Documents That Need Business Translation

Companies that expand their operations internationally often face logistical challenges as a result of their growth. Language barriers can be one such challenge. To help with this problem, translation service companies offer comprehensive business translation services that cover all of a company’s translation needs. The following examples are some of the most important types of documents that a business will need to have translated as it expands into new countries.

 

1. Business Translation For Legal Documents

When expanding operations internationally, it is imperative that the business complies with the rules and regulations of the new country. Legal document translation services can help with compliance by making sure that key decision-makers understand the nuances in the laws and regulations of the new country. In addition, various other legal documents such as contracts, employment agreements, and affidavits will need by translated in order to maintain the business’ legitimacy.

 

2. Business Translation for Internal Documents

Companies that operate offices around the world likely have employees that speak different languages. For these situations, it is imperative that internal documents like memos, manuals, and important e-mails be translated into the languages that employees speak to avoid any confusion or accidents. Company rules should be translated as well to make sure employees understand what is expected of them.

 

3. Business Translation For Marketing

In order to successfully sell a service or product in a new market, a new marketing campaign will have to be developed. Marketing translation services can help with this problem by translating marketing documents like flyers, brochures, and pamphlets. In addition, digital marketing materials need to be converted as well; to that end, website translation can be a useful service so that the target consumer can view the product or service in their native language.

 

4. Technical Document Translation

For businesses that sell products, technical translation services are essential. Various technical manuals have to be translated into languages that consumers speak. These could include owner’s manuals or operating instructions. For businesses that sell products that could require advanced technical care, blueprints and schematics should be translated as well for easier maintenance.

 

5. Financial Document Translation

For any business that operates internationally, financial translation services are vital. Different countries use different financial terminologies–in addition to using different formats for financial documentation. In order to prevent chaos and disorganization, financial documents should be translated into a common language for review and potential auditing. Translating these documents will also help make the tax process run smoother and with less confusion.

 

3 Ways Financial Translation Services Can Transform Your Business

Translation agencies provide many vital services to their clients, one of those being financial translation services. Most companies that operate internationally can benefit from these translation services, not just ones in the financial industry. Some examples of these services include the translation of financial documents, statements, audits, and reports. Financial translation services also include the review of rules and regulations to make sure companies are compliant with the laws of every country they operate in. The proper implementation of these services is essential for a company that has a global presence. The following paragraphs go into more detail on what to expect from translation services and why they are important.

 

Financial Translation Services And The Regulatory World

Companies that operate globally need to be compliant with the financial rules and regulations of each country that they work in. This means filing the right paperwork, providing documentation, and cooperating with the appropriate financial authorities. It is nearly impossible to provide all these documents without the help of a translation service company. Countries and languages differ in how financial terms are used. When submitting documents to regulators and other officials, special attention has to be made to how the documents are translated. Mistranslations could be costly, and could lead to serious problems in the future. This is why it is imperative to use professional business translation services for all financial needs.

 

Translation For Important Financial Materials

An important component of financial translation is the translation of reports, statements, audits, and other documents. Companies that operate offices around the globe will find this particularly useful. Offices of the same company in different countries might work in other languages. For example, a German speaking office might need to report important information back to the company’s headquarters, which operates in English. In this case, document translation will be necessary to make sure information is properly transferred back and forth.

 

Financial Translation Services And Its Challenges

There are unique challenges associated with financial translation services that are important to understand. Translating financial materials is not the same as legal translation or marketing translation. The translator must be experienced in financial matters; if not, they could miss potentially important details that could derail operations. This is why reputable translation service companies will often have accountants, economists, other financial professionals take on cases that require financial translation services.

 

5 Ridiculous Contract Translation Mistakes

Contract translation is an important part of the wider range of legal translation services provided by many translation agencies. Many corporations are doing business overseas with foreign companies, governments, and contractors. In order for there to be stable business relationships, contracts between parties with different language backgrounds need to be translated accurately. Additionally, interpreting services must be used for any high-stakes meetings. Mistakes in these translations can often lead to embarrassing and economically costly outcomes. The following five examples poignantly demonstrate the importance of professional translation services when translating contracts and other legal documents.

1. South Korea’s Free Trade Contract Translation Snafu

In 2011, South Korea was in the process of drafting multiple free trade agreements with the EU and the US. The draft of the agreement between the EU and South Korea contained so many translation errors that it had to be put on hold, twice. Whatever language translation service the South Koreans used apparently didn’t learn from their mistakes. The South Korean cabinet had to withdraw its bill in the middle of negotiations with Washington due to numerous translation errors.

2. Poor Contract Translation Can Have Serious Financial Repercussions

In 2006, an American oil company, Occidental Petroleum, brought a case for arbitration before the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes. The Ecuadorian government seized one of Occidental’s interests in the Amazon rainforest, causing significant financial damage while also apparently violating a previous agreement between the Ecuadorian government and Occidental. The Ecuadorian government settled with Occidental, but due to poor legal translations of Ecuadorian case law, the damages awarded to Occidental were increased by 40%. Even though that amount was eventually annulled, both parties had to spend time and money on further legal expenses.

3. A Bad Contract Translation Leads To A Missed Opportunity

In 2018, the Argentinian soccer club Independiente sought to re-sign Bryan Cabeza, who was playing with Atalanta, an Italian club. Bryan had previously played for Independiente before, and the Argentinian club was looking to get him back. Instead of relying on a translation service company to professionally translate the contract, Independiente simply used machine translation to translate their contract into English. Unfortunately for them, the software they used translated Bryan’s name into “Brian Head” (Cabeza being the Spanish word for head). The contract was invalidated and Cabeza stayed with Atalanta. Independiente’s poor contract translation led them to fail to achieve one of their goals that season.

4. Translation Errors In China

According to various Chinese sources, some 5% of disputes between Chinese and foreign companies arise from poor contract translation. In 2011 a dispute arose over the English word “drydocking” being mistranslated as “tank washing”. In the same contract, the English sentence “except fuel used for domestic service” was translated incorrectly as “except fuel used for domestic flights”. These errors lead to confusion and unnecessary legal expenses. Using the translation and localization services of a reputable translation agency would have saved both parties a headache and financial expenses.

5. Poor Translations Have Consequences For The Future

This final example may be from 1840, but the ramifications were felt for decades after the initial event. In 1840, officials representing the British government signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the Maori people of New Zealand. The Maori version of the treaty stated that the Maori would be ceding governance rights to Britain, but not sovereignty. The British version of the treaty stated that the Maori were to cede governance, land, and sovereignty rights. This poor legal document translation led to a series of devastating wars whose effects lingered for at least a century.

Top 5 Worst Website Translation Services Mistakes to Avoid For Your Organization

Translating your website is an important step in expanding your business to new markets. A translated website will allow potential clients to view your product who otherwise might not have due to a language barrier. When pursuing website translation services, it is important to keep in mind the common errors that businesses make when translating their websites. These mistakes can make your website look amateurish and unprofessional. The following are five of the most common mistakes that are made when translating websites; understanding these is the first step to successfully translating your business’s website.

 

1. Website Translation Services Reliant On Machine Translation

While it may be convenient and cheap, an over-reliance on machine translation like Google Translate can lead to a website littered with errors. Long samples of text translated by a machine will tend to have awkward sentences and mistakes in grammar and vocabulary. A website that has been mostly translated with the help of a machine will end up looking silly and unprofessional. Your time and money would be better spent on professional translation services that specifically offer business translation services that will accurately translate your website without any of the mistakes listed above.

 

2. Website Translation Services Without Localization

Your website might be translated well, but in order to be fully deployable, your website must be localized.  A website that lacks localized translation will not resonate well with its intended audience. Localization takes cultural and linguistic values of the target audience into account, which can make all the difference to the reader. In addition to providing accurate translations, translation agencies that provide website translation and localization services will make sure that your website’s content is adapted to match the particular cultural values of your target audience.

 

3. SEO Is Not Taken Into Account

A website might be translated and localized well, but it won’t be successful if it doesn’t generate traffic and conversions. Having great SEO in English does not immediately transfer to multilingual SEO. SEO best practices need to be kept in mind when implementing website translation services. Keywords that perform well in English might perform differently in their translated form. A competent and experienced translation service company will do the necessary research to make sure that your keywords, meta tags, and other marketing components are translated correctly to maintain strong SEO.

 

4. The Website Is Not Optimized For Mobile

Most people have experienced the frustration of interacting with a website that is not optimized for mobile viewing. It is estimated that roughly 80% of the world’s population uses a smartphone. With the number of people interacting with websites on their phones, it is practically a crime against marketing not to optimize your website for mobile viewing. Making your website look good on mobile is well worth the time and cost.

 

5. Website Translation Services That Forget About Forms

This is not a difficult mistake to correct, but it is often overlooked when websites are translated. Potential clients and costumers interact with your business through the sign-up and contact forms. If a potential buyer can’t read the form, your website will struggle with conversions. You can avoid this mistake by relying on the professional translations of a dedicated translation service company.

3 Ways Simultaneous Interpreting Can Benefit Your Business

Despite the fact that simultaneous interpreting is one of the most efficient types of interpretation, it is also one of the most demanding for the corporate interpreter. One should know that there are two main types of interpretation: simultaneous interpretation and consecutive interpreting. Whereas simultaneous interpreting is done without any breaks in a very limited time, consecutive interpreting is provided after a pause or at the end of a few sentences. Hiring a translation company for simultaneous interpreting is a great idea if your business hosts conferences or negotiations where time and spontaneity are an essential factor. Conference interpreting services are an excellent resource, as they ensure language is not a limiting factor. Having a business interpreter to translate a conference for your company can help to portray your company as a detail-oriented brand committed to cultural sensitivity and transparency.

Here are three ways your business can benefit from simultaneous interpreting services:

 

1. Simultaneous Interpreting Ensures Spontaneous Communication

If you hire a company interpreter for your business, all parties involved in an important meeting or conference are able to communicate in a spontaneous manner. If your company is able to hire a dedicated language service provider, your organization can rest easy knowing that important linguistic nuances are taken into account by the provided interpreters. Simultaneous interpreting offers the possibility and opportunity of having a meeting as natural as possible. For instance, if you have to negotiate price for a new product or service, the spontaneity of simultaneous interpreting can make sure that all parties involved in the negotiations can express themselves freely without important information being lost in translation.

 

2. Time Can Be Saved Thanks To Simultaneous Interpreting

Time can be a limiting factor for both the company as well as the interpreter. Since simultaneous interpreting as well as translation services can be expensive, your organization can save some money because the interpreter can work more efficiently. Additionally, saving time is a plus as most companies are really busy. As a result, using this type of interpretation can help meetings go straight to the point and save more time to work on strategy.

 

3. Interpreting Eliminates Language Barriers

In addition to ensuring spontaneous conversations and saving time, simultaneous interpreting can eliminate the language barrier. This type of interpretation can help the conversation go so smoothly and naturally that participants might forget that they do not speak the same language as other participants. However, it is important to choose your translation company carefully to ensure accuracy and efficiency. For example, if conducting a conference at the UN, only experienced government interpreters with experience with relay interpreting should be hired. As good as it can be for your business to invest in simultaneous interpreting, hiring a bad interpreter for the job could greatly hurt your business.