Sometimes, a faux pas is committed unintentionally. Unfortunately, they sent this tweet out on the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. Disney Japan tweeted an image of Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, celebrating a “merry unbirthday” with “congratulations on a trifling day” message. Similar ignorance or insensitivity also recently occurred in Japan. In a case of being tone deaf to local history, the UK sportswear maker Umbro named a new line of footwear “Zyklon”, without realizing (or researching possibly) that that is the name of the gas used by the Nazis during WWII at the concentration camps. Unfortunately, “ma-te” in Maori means “death”.Ĭertain historical references are taboo…. Most recently, Coca-Cola tried to embrace the local culture with “”Kia ora, mate”, intending to say “Greetings, mate”. Or the American Dairy Association asking South Americans “Are Your Lactating?”, instead of “Got Milk?” From Gerber sounding like the French word for “vomit” to Pepsi Cola’s “Come Alive with Pepsi” being translated literally into “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead” in Chinese.
There is no shortage of examples regarding translation fails in marketing. But, after the laughs subside, you should remember that even the most established of international brands blunder occasionally, so you should be vigilant when you create a brand communications strategy. When invited to a dinner party, why not ask your host questions related to the food you are eating: the recipe, the quality of the ingredients and the local producer or shops where she/he bought them, the chef who inspired the recipe is always highly appreciated.It can be a good giggle reading through a list of missteps made by international brands in local markets. They will be very pleased to answer your questions as something is sure: in France everyone has an opinion or a comment to make about politicians, bills, preparations etc.Ĭertain topics such as food are usually much more appreciated at a dinner with French people. Unlike other countries, French people like politics and love having passionate debates about politicians so why not bring up this topic if you are informed about the current affairs in France. If you don’t know the person well, stick to safer topics and start the conversation with more engaging issues such as travel, the local context, culture, or the weather. It seems like common sense however, this is slowly changing more and more people speak about wages and the money they earn and it is not as taboo as it used to be. Religion in general is not a topic to bring up with people unless you know them well.Īnother topic to avoid is money and wealth, particularly inquiring about the financial status or salary of a French person unless you are close friends. The public sphere and religion are supposed to be entirely separate, a concept called laïcité (or secularism). France is in majority a Catholic country, but there is a peculiar dichotomy between religious beliefs and society.
My student was at first quite surprised, as he knew that the French don’t usually become so familiar so quickly, but he finally accepted, pleased with this spontaneous request.įaith and prayer are very private matters here. This neighbor asked him whether it was possible to visit my student’s flat, as he had heard that it had been recently beautifully refurbished. One of my students was pleasantly surprised when he was in Cannes and met a French person who lived in the same building as him on the staircase. This is of course a generality, as not all the French are unreluctant to unveil their private life to people they don’t know well. This is the opposite of other cultures like the US, who open up to all.
According to psychologist Kurt Lewin this means that French people don’t like sharing their personal lives so freely with those not in their inner circle. Asking personal questions and oversharing your own personal stories in the wrong setting can make your French companion feel awkward at best, and at worst, they may think you are being rude by crossing the boundaries of intimacy.Īsking a French acquaintance how they met their partner, for example, might seem innocuous, but would be an awkward question for some French people.
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