Lost in Translation: How Inconsistency Can Strengthen Your Brand

Cross posted from The Buzz Bin

If you’ve ever worked on a branding project, you know that one of the keys to brand success is maintaining consistency across all communication channels. Your logo should appear in the same color, shape, format and font everywhere it is used, and all your communication materials – from your letterhead and annual report to your Facebook and Twitter pages – should employ the imagery, typography, key messages and tone of voice you’ve developed for your brand.

Most established brands (McDonald’s, Delta Airlines and Skype, for example) have a set of brand guidelines that document all these rules and help the individuals charged with representing the brand maintain its integrity.

Why the focus on consistency? Because, with enough repetition, your brand’s identity will begin to embed itself in the minds of consumers. However, if you frequently change the look and feel of your brand, those powerful visual and psychological cues will be lost, and your ability to forge an emotional connection with consumers will suffer.

Now, I am a person who likes to play by the rules, but, even for me, this issue of brand consistency begs the unavoidable question: If you want your brand to speak to consumers across a variety of cultures, do the same rules of consistency still apply?

Not exactly. According to Nigel Hollis, executive vice president and chief global analyst at Millward Brown Inc., the combination of product design, positioning and communication strategy that makes a brand successful in one country may have to be adjusted to build a connection with consumers in new markets.

And it’s not just a matter of converting your tagline from English to French or from Spanish to Chinese. As a French major, I learned that effectively translating something from one language to another is never as simple as consulting the dictionary. Accurate translation requires a solid understanding of both languages and both cultures involved. Without this deeper understanding, you’re likely to 1) end up with something like the descriptions on this “Chinglish” menu, and 2) lose the respect of your target audience faster than you can say “Bonjour,” “Nihau” or “Shalom.”

Brands are successful when they win consumers’ hearts as well as their minds, and in order to win someone’s heart, you must approach him or her in a way that is both comfortable and relevant.

Not surprisingly, Coke seems to have made as much headway as any global company in “translating” its brand across a variety of cultures. The company has done much more than just translating the text on its website from English to French, Japanese, German, etc.– it has built a separate website for each country that expresses the Coca Cola brand in terms relative to each unique culture. (Check out Coke Japan, Coke Sweden and Coke Russia for a few examples.)

If you compare the Coca Cola USA home page to the Coca Cola France home page, you’ll see that the two not only look different, they also act different.

The French version takes a more energetic, colorful approach while the American version evokes calm and simplicity. The former also features slightly different product messaging (Coca Cola light in place of Diet Coke) and highlights different brand engagement elements, such as co-promotions with Xbox 360 and mobile telecom provider Orange.

By partnering with a brand that has already staked a claim in the hearts of Frenchies–Orange – Coke is giving itself a leg up in becoming more approachable and meaningful to its target audience in France. The brand has taken a similar approach to reach Hispanic consumers in the U.S. Reinaldo Padua, assistant vice president of Hispanic marketing for Coca Cola North America, told Marketing News they have been able to increase sales among Hispanic immigrants by bundling beverages with popular food products like tortillas.

If you think about it, all brands – even local ones – live at the intersection of two different cultures: one of those buying the brand and that of the group responsible for its marketing. We marketers would do ourselves a favor by approaching brand strategy as an exercise in cross-cultural communication. Those of us who cultivate an understanding of our target audience’s needs, values and cultural norms will be better prepared to facilitate a connection between brand and consumer, and to prevent our brand promise from getting lost in translation.

Multicultural marketing ain't what it used to be

Cross-posted from The Buzz Bin

How would you describe the typical American?

It is becoming harder and harder to do – and this has implications for marketers.

According to research from communications firm GlobalHue, the mixture in the American melting pot is becoming gradually richer and more complex. As cultural lines continue to blur, marketers will find that understanding consumers requires more than a single cultural lens.

Case in point: A recent Bendixen & Amandi poll shows that young Hispanics define being American in their own terms. For many, that means proudly speaking “Spanglish” and straddling two cultures – honoring their Hispanic roots while defending American values and pursuing the American dream.

Trends like these are proof that the old rules of multicultural marketing no longer apply. Today’s marketers need to understand the new cultural landscape and communicate to their target audiences in a way that acknowledges cross-cultural similarities over differences.

So how can marketers acquire a taste for what’s cooking in the new melting pot? Here are a few suggestions:

1) Expand your familiarity with other cultures

• When you travel, go out on a limb and try a homestay with a foreign family. Or, if that’s not your cup of tea, take advantage of local tour guides to ask questions about cultural attitudes and norms.
• Volunteer as a conversation partner for someone new to the U.S. Most universities have language partner programs, and organizations like theInternational Rescue Committee can pair you with a family or individual acclimating to a new way of life in the states. You’ll be amazed at what you learn as you work to communicate and find common interests with people from varying cultures and ethnicities.
• Look to your peers for insight. If you have friends from backgrounds different from your own, talk to them about the similarities and differences they perceive among cultural groups.
• At the very least, make a point to explore other cultures through books, movies and news media. New America Now is a great place to start. Check out its Ethnoblog and poll series.

2) Leverage social networks for research and experimentation

• Peruse blogs, Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups targeting specific cultural audiences. Below are just a few examples:
  • Sandip Roy – a blogger and radio show host who frequently covers issues pertaining to Indian-Americans
  • #LATISM – the Twitter hashtag for Latinos in Social Media
  • Cuentame – a Facebook group geared toward Latinos
  • CitySaheli – an online community for the “savvy South Asian woman”
  • The Grio –a video-centric news community covering perspectives that affect the African-American community
• Social media channels are well-suited for today’s multicultural marketers because they make it easier to adjust or revise strategies and appropriately micro-target within diverse communities.

3) Embrace culture in your campaigns

• State Farm took this approach with its BollyStar Competition celebrating India’s Bollywood culture, and Pepsi has had great success with itsYoSumo campaign aimed at second- and third-generation youth and young-adult Latinos. See Jessica Faye Carter’s recent post on Mashable for more examples.

4) Make an effort to connect emotionally with your target audience

• The NBA is doing this with Énebéa, a website geared toward Hispanic and Latino fans that have a strong emotional connection with Latino NBA players. The site has a special focus on Latino players and included more interviews, online chats, statistics and photo galleries than the general NBA site.
• If your company is committed and/or involved with the community it’s trying to reach, be sure to highlight related activities so your audience knows you’re genuinely invested in it. Wells Fargo is an example of a company that does this well. See Bill Imada’s recent Ad Age article on the topic.

5) Always test assumptions in focus groups before incorporating them into your marketing campaign. You won’t know if your messages strike a valid chord with consumers – regardless of their cultural identity – unless you solicit honest, objective feedback.

Studying, observing and interacting with a culture outside your own will enable you to identify and leverage similarities and differences among various consumer segments. And being culturally aware won’t just help you develop a better multicultural marketing campaign, it will also enhance your ability to engage with (and have fun with!) people across the globe.

So grab a spoon and start sipping while the soup is still hot.

Photo courtesy: chewonthat blog

Tidbits from Tuscany - Insight No. 3

Another thing I learned in Italy: Not all olive oil tastes good.

Yep, you heard me right. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say some of it is downright nasty. And keep in mind that this is coming from an admitted olive oil addict. At home in the states, I buy the stuff by the liter and add it to just about everything I eat -- salads, hummus, pasta, seafood, sauteed veggies, pizza, chicken, dipping sauce for bread and so on. At my last physical, I learned that my LDL (or "good") cholesterol was off the charts high, and my doctor told me that probably had much to do with my extreme penchant for olive oil.

So, you can imagine my surprise when, at the Cantine de Greve (referenced in a previous post), I dunked a fresh piece of bread into a dish of Tuscany's finest, popped the dripping morsel into my mouth...and nearly spat it out on the tasting table. The flavor was awful -- like it had been aged in a corroding lead pipe.

"Must've gotten the dud," I thought, and moved on to the next oil spout. Thinking perhaps the bitter taste in my mouth had something to do with the bread I'd used for dipping, this time I ran my finger through the shiny, golden liquid and licked it in hopeful anticipation. But once again, what I experienced was a tongue-curling, pungent flavor.

After a third unsuccessful tasting, I finally gave up. Maybe my tastebuds were off that day or maybe my palate just isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate authentic Italian olive oil. But either way, it brings me to Tuscan Tidbit No. 3 - All olive oils aren't created equal

Photo Courtesy of rd.com

Tidbits from Tuscany - Insight No. 2

No trip to Italy would be complete without a good dose of wine tasting. And since our home base for the week was a cottage in the heart of Chianti, we challenged ourselves to taste a wide variety of Chianti's best. And I must say we performed pretty well against our goal.

By the end of the week, we had tried everything from a (delicious) carafe of the house wine at our local ristorante, to Il Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Barone Ricasoli's Chianti Classico.

On our last day, we even made a stop at Le Cantine di Greve, a be old wine cellar with cool stone walls, tile floors and a smorgasbord

of tasting options. We went hog wild hopping from one sample station to the next, sipping reds, whites and vin santo, then dipping tiny

cubes of bread in an array of olive oils.

Anyway, my point is that we consumed our fair share of Chianti during our time in Chianti. And I'm embarrassed to say I very nearly left the region without even knowing what it is that makes a Chianti Classico a Chianti Classico.

Fortunately, a charming Italian man saved me from my ignorance. Giuseppe Mirossi -- better known as Beppe -- is a friendly and accommodating gentleman who runs a car service in Tuscany and was kind enough to drive Granville and me from Castellina to the Pisa airport for our Saturday departure. I can truthfully say I learned just as much from Beppe during our 70-minute commute that day than I had in the previous six combined. I'll try to share all that I learned from him in future posts, but for now, it's back to the topic of Chianti.

As many people know, Beppe said, in order to qualify as Chianti Classico, a wine must be made from at least 80 percent Sangiovese grapes. But what most do not know is that the Sangiovese grape vine is indigenous to Chianti and therefore thrives in the region's soil, which is riddled with stones. These stones, said Beppe, leach minerals that provide nourishment to the grape vines through their roots. Plus, because the stones are very porous, they absorb moisture during the winter months and release it back into the soil during the hot summer months, making for a surprisingly stable environment for the roots all year round.

So, Beppe told us, Sangiovese grapes planted and grown in California, for example, will produce a wine very different from that made with Sangiovese grapes grown in Chianti. And only the latter will ever be considered Chianti Classico. The secret, he said, is in the soil.

Tidbits from Tuscany - Insight No. 1

I just returned to the states after six days in Tuscany with my family. Now, a week in Tuscany may sound idyllic, but, in all honesty, our trip was less reminiscent of "Under the Tuscan Sun" than it was of "Dumb and Dumber."

For example, within two hours of our arrival in Italy, we had driven in circles for 30 minutes in search of the leaning tower of Pisa, barrelled down a one-way street headed the wrong direction, and virtually burned through the clutch of our rental Peugeot. When we finally screeched into a sliver of a parking place in the center of town, we rolled out of the car feeling like a cluster of baby birds newly ejected from the nest. We squinted in the sunlight, gave our ruffled feathers a good shake and wobbled off to see the Leaning Tower.












Well, apparently our brains were as muddled as a baby bird's too. Either that or we had somehow left our good sense behind in the states, because not one of us second guessed the fact that we were leaving a car full of luggage parked on the street in a city known for its high incidence of theft.

So of course when we returned to the Peugeot an hour later, we found the front passenger window shattered into a million tiny pieces. And, sure enough, virtually everything of value was gone: laptop, iPod, Kindle, Blackberry, sunglasses and cash. The lucky bandit might as well have graffitied Dumb American F--ks on the side of our car... because we sure felt like them.









Granville realizing that with his iPod and laptop, the Italian thief had made of with thousands of dollars worth of iTunes.

A slew of four-letter words and several phone calls later, we made our way to Pisa's Carabinieri, or police station, to report the crime. And I know you'll be shocked to learn that the officer on duty could not have cared less. After making us wait a while in the designated waiting room -- for no apparent reason, as we were the only ones there --he had us to fill out two identical copies of a claim form (I guess a Xerox machine would be far too indulgent for the Pisan police station) and sent us on our way.









Granville and Rob contemplating the Italian justice system at Pisa's Carabinieri

So we proceeded back to the rental car office and traded in our battered Peugeot for a trusty Volkswagon. "I guess that's why they require you to buy rental car insurance," said my dad in a moment of brilliant hindsight.

Fortunately, the trip was all up hill from there. But I don't think any of us will forgive ourselves for that initial display of stupidity any time soon.


Tuscan Tidbit No. 1 - Don't forget to pack your street smarts

Things that give me pause

Morandi - My new favorite spot in NYC's West Village. Tile floors, wood paneling, soft lighting and amazing ambiance. Not to mention the simple yet flavorful Italian food. The Picci al Limone is a pleasant surprise.


The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - The title doesn't do this book justice. Stieg Larsson presents suspense and sadism in a vividly portrayed Swedish town.


It's Complicated - I'm still trying to decide what I liked best about this movie: the hysterical story line, drool-inducing kitchen scenes or to-die-for decor.


Paris to the Moon - Just as enjoyable and inspiring the second time around as it was the first time. Adam Gopnik's perspective on French (and expatriate) culture, while occasionally trop intellectuelle, is ever insightful and astute.

Sultry Seville Nights

I imagine most everyone who has attended an authentic flamenco show has walked away like I did – with my jaw hanging open in amazement.
It is impossible NOT to be considerably stirred and confused by the sounds, movements and emotions one witnesses at a flamenco performance. And it is equally impossible not to want to share what you have seen, heard and felt with others. The question is how to do so.
Even if photography is permitted at a flamenco show, how much of the experience can a photo actually capture? What of flamenco can a series of still images convey?
A still photo fails to communicate the intrinsic elements of flamenco – sound and movement.
But is there any type of recording which can encapsulate those essential elements?
An audio recording could potentially capture the sound of flamenco, but its ability to do so is limited.
Even the highest quality recording would not do the artists justice. The guttural cadences and improvised percussion of flamenco would lose a dimension in translation. Its adamant stomps and lacerating cries would not slice through the air and resonate against the tile walls of the candlelit patio. It would be flat.
Moreover, an audio recording would divulge none of the invigorating visual elements of flamenco: the gleaming wood of the musician’s guitar; the delicate lace on the dancer’s dress; the expressions of agony, passion and rage on the artists’ faces; the dancer’s erotic hand flourishes, high-speed twirls and fervent thrashes … and the hummingbird blur of her hammering feet.
So … that leaves the option of a video recording -- a tried and true tool often used to convey and arouse emotion. But I would argue that even the most artistically rendered flamenco film would be bland compared to the real thing.
While film can communicate some sensory details, when it comes to recreating an entirely sensual experience, film falls short.
A video screen does not capture the play of light across a room -- the way it envelops certain faces in a warm glow, and brushes briefly against others before leaving them to the shadows.
When you watch flamenco on a movie screen, you will not you breathe the cool night air laced with honeysuckle, your eyes will not detect the sparkle of perspiration on the dancer’s face, nor will you feel the temperature rise as her body movements and footwork accelerate.
For me, the question of how to document the performance was rendered irrelevant because recording devices were not permitted. Instead, I jotted down notes throughout the performance in an attempt to capture the scene in words.
But it is not easy to find words which accurately describe the visual, auditory and emotional stimuli one encounters with flamenco.
Unpredictable. Desperate. Angry. Insistent. Fluid. Graceful. Soulful. Sultry.
The juxtaposition of these terms is a decent start …but does not even begin to paint the full picture.
In fact, I am not sure an encounter with flamenco can be recreated through any combination of words, images and sounds. I see it as one of those rare and beautiful creations rendered comprehensible only through personal experience.

Either or?

In a job interview a few weeks ago, I was posed with a question that has stayed with me ever since:

"Do you find comfort in being close to home ...or are you eager to get out and explore the world?"

Since it was an interview, I felt I had to answer one way or another. So I chose the latter.

But I'm not sure how I can claim to be an eager explorer when I have just moved "home" to Richmond, where I am surrounded by friends and family.

True...I did spend four years away at college and three years living in DC, but throughout that time -- except for the semester I spent in Paris -- I was never more than five hours away from the comforts of home.

Yet there is no question in my mind that the most rewarding and enriching moments of my adult life have come from my ventures into the wider world. As I have explored new places and cultures, I have made friends and memories that now define me.

It seems each time I venture out of my comfort zone, I encounter someone or something that illuminates a new layer within the prism of my soul. Afterward, everything I experience filters through that new layer and refracts into thoughts and perspectives I would not otherwise have had.

I am not sure who I would be today if I had never gotten out and explored the world. But I also don't know who I would be today if I did not have a home base to return to after each adventure.
My loyalty to home and family defines me just as much as my fascination with the world beyond.

In the interview, I had to choose one or the other...but in real life I refuse to do so.

And if that means my life becomes a quest to balance these two essential drives, then so be it.

Because I simply can't relinquish either side of myself.

Open your mind and add spice to your life

I was midway through a semester abroad program, studying French and living with a family in Paris when the United States declared war on Iraq.

“C’est la guerre,” my host father matter-of-factly proclaimed as we sat down to dinner one March evening.

Once it became clear that France would not back the U.S. in its pursuit of war with Iraq, I received phone calls and emails from friends in the states :

“Is it weird to be in France right now? Are the people rude or hostile to you? Do the French hate Americans now? Do you feel unsafe?”

Not at all.

As opposed to Americans, who had boycotted the sale of French wine and taken to calling French fries “freedom fries,” my French colleagues were able to make a clear distinction.

"We are against the war, but we are not against Americans," they said.

Despite my inherent association with President Bush and the war, I never encountered the least bit of enmity or aggression from the French community.

I hope that a French student studying in the states at that time would be able to say the same.

Living abroad, especially during such a controversial moment in history, opened my mind to the importance of cross-cultural awareness and drew my attention to the media’s considerable influence over public perception.

This awareness has encouraged me to seek out friends with backgrounds different from my own and to consider the variety of perspectives surrounding each political, social or cultural issue.

They say variety is the spice of life. If so, I believe we owe it to society and to ourselves to keep our spice racks fully stocked.