How can a rabbit be stronger than a football hero? how can a rabbit be more powerful than a big strong man? In the world of advertising this is quite possible. Consider the example of Jacko, this great Australian football hero recently appeared on TV and yelled at the audience to buy products. Jacko's angry campaign worked well in Australia, so Energizer batteries invited him north to sell their product in the United States . But Jack was yelling did not convince the American audience to buy batteries. So, goodbye, Jacko, hello, energizer bunny, the little toy rabbit that has sold for more batteries than Jacko.
In the world of advertising, selling products is the most important goal. As companies are becoming more global, they are looking for new ways to sell their products all over the world. It is true that because of global communication, the world is becoming smaller today.
But it is also true that the problems of global avatar advertising – problems of language and culture – have become larger than ever. For example, Brennan airlines wanted to advertise its fine leather seats. But when its advertisement was translated from English to Spanish, he told people that they could fly naked! Another example of incorrect translation is how Chevrolet tried to market the Chevy nova in Latin America. In English, the word nova refers to a star. But in Spanish, it means quote doesn't go. Quote would you buy a call with this name? To avoid these problems of translation, most advertising firms are now beginning to write completely new pants. In writing new ads, global advertisers considered the different styles of communication in different countries. In some cultures, the meaning of an advertisement is usually found in the exact words that are used to describe the product and to explain why it is better than the competition. This is true in such countries as the United States, Britain, and Germany. But in other cultures, such as Japan's, the message depends more on situations and feelings than it does on words. For this reason, the goal of mini TV commercials in Japan will be to show how good people feel at a party or other social situation. The commercial will not say that a product is better than others. Instead, it's goal will be to create a positive mood or feeling about the product.
Global advertisers must also consider differences in Laws and Customs. For instance, certain countries will not allow TV commercials on Sunday, and others will not allowed to get commercials for children's products on any day of the week. In some parts of the world, it is forbidden to show dogs on television or certain types of clothing, such as jeans. The global advertising who does not understand such Lolas and customs will have problems.
Finally, there is the question of what to advertise. People around the world have different customs as well as different likes and dislikes. So the best advertisement in the world means nothing if the product is not right for the market. Even though some markets around the world quite similar, companies such as McDonald's have found that it is very important to sell different products in different parts of the world. So when you go to McDonald's in Hawaii, you'll find Chinese noodles on the menu. If you stop for hamburger in Germany, you can order a beer with your meal. In Malaysia, you can try a milkshake that is flavored with the food that most people in other countries have never tasted.
All of these products must be sold with the right kind of message. It is never been in easy job for global advertisers to create this message. But no matter how difficult this job may be it is very important for global advertisers to do well. In today's competitive one , most new products quickly fail. Knowing how to advertise in the global market can help companies with the compact competition for success!
Answer the following questions:
1. Who is Jacko? What does he show about international advertising?
2. What problem do advertisers have when try to translate ads directly from one language to another?
3. How can a global advertiser avoid problems?
4. Why should a company offer different products in different countries?
