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The Mythical Chevy Nova Marketing Lesson

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by Growwwolfrum, May 22, 2022.

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  1. #1
    Recently I came across this story about Chevy Nova cars and how they faced a global marketing challenge when targeted at Spanish speaking countries because Nova means “No Go” in Spanish.

    What was interesting was the fact that the story was a myth that never occurred - so why did the story get passed around, and accepted, so much in the first place?

    We definitely do take into account cultures and their differing perceptions, but should we? As our world gets more and more globalised, and as our cultures merge with more speed than ever before, will taking into account cultural differences just become a thing of the past in advertising? Or is it more the case that certain cultures and their preferences will reign over others? What’s your take on this?
     
    Growwwolfrum, May 22, 2022 IP
  2. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

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    #2
    A friend who works in produce marketing tells a story of promoting a new variety of apples from New Zealand to China. It took 6 weeks for the marketing team and the translators to agree on copy that would appeal to the Chinese market and fit with the overall marketing plan.

    In NZ one of our major supermarket chains is Australian owned and so we get a few Australian products that compete directly with local products. The Aussie goods often come emblazoned with "Buy Australian Made" to which we respond "yeah, nah". If they were subtle we wouldn't care, go figure.

    I've found when I travel that marketing in a country often uses very similar colour themes - even if the brand itself doesn't use them. South Africa and Australia both favour yellow and green, NZ has black and white, a whole swag of countries use red, white and blue.

    In NZ, UK we use a cleaning product called Jif, in parts of Europe it's called Gif.

    Globalisation is definitely cutting down a lot of barriers but it has a long way to go.

    Now if only it could standardise power outlets!
     
    sarahk, May 22, 2022 IP
    jrbiz likes this.
  3. Growwwolfrum

    Growwwolfrum Greenhorn

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    #3
    What an interesting post that came from experience! So despite the massive usage of social media and global advertising, people still would rather buy something local or something that looks local and familiar.
    This part tho! Absolute accuracy :D
     
    Growwwolfrum, May 28, 2022 IP
  4. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #4
    And here in the U.S., "Jif" is a top-selling peanut butter brand. :)

    Product names are a globalization minefield, but the real challenge lies in the finer print. I was involved for a few years with an international translation company that specialized in legal and medical documentation translation. Getting complex product instructions or legal documents into the particular syntax, dialects, and colloquialisms of a specific region and verified as 100% accurate is an absolute nightmare.
     
    jrbiz, Jun 3, 2022 IP