My Favorite Marketing Faux Pas so Far This Year

[Anderton]

"When Mercedes Benz entered the Chinese market, they attempted to market their brand as 'Bensi' to fit Chinese dialect â not realizing that 'Bensi' translated to 'rush to die.' "

 

You gotta love it

[The Real MC]

I recall a similar faux pas years ago with another vehicle that was marketed in South America. I don't remember which specific vehicle, but after poor sales it was eventually uncovered that in the native language the model name translated to "no go".

[Mike Rivers]

I recall a similar faux pas years ago with another vehicle that was marketed in South America. I don't remember which specific vehicle, but after poor sales it was eventually uncovered that in the native language the model name translated to "no go".

 

 

That was the Chevrolet Nova. That was also an urban legend. In Spanish, "nova" and "no va" are pronounced differently and, while "no va" means "doesn't go", it isn't good language usage. And "nova" in Spanish means the same thing as it does in English - like a nova star.

[analogika]

The Suzuki Pajero was also rebranded for the Spanish market.

[Chip McDonald]

So many of these faux pas. And so many basic, fundamental problems with products these days - corporate detachment from responsibility leads to this kind of thing.

 

A band coming up with a new name: "let's search for it on Google, to see if someone else has it". "Oh, wait, it means "clean your urinal" in Thai, we can't use that". Giant Corporation: "let's name it "The LURIDOMINKYBILA"! Yeah!" "Ok, that's settled, I'm headed to Starbucks, any one else?".

[Mike Rivers]

And closer to home for plug-in users, there's Oeksound, maker of some artificially intelligent "smoother" plug-in processors. If I didn't think maybe it means something in Finnish, I would pronounce it "weak sound."

[Anderton]

And the award for the most unfortunate timing ever goes to Fender, for introducing the Supreme White Strat (a collaboration with the Supreme fashion brand) the day after the Charlottesville riot. Oops. I think they just changed the name to the Supreme Strat (White) after that.

[analogika]

And the award for the most unfortunate timing ever goes to Fender, for introducing the Supreme White Strat (a collaboration with the Supreme fashion brand) the day after the Charlottesville riot. Oops. I think they just changed the name to the Supreme Strat (White) after that.

OMG.

[Mighty Motif Max]

And the award for the most unfortunate timing ever goes to Fender, for introducing the Supreme White Strat (a collaboration with the Supreme fashion brand) the day after the Charlottesville riot. Oops. I think they just changed the name to the Supreme Strat (White) after that.

 

Holy crap!

[ajstan]

OK, not from this year, but others are posting oldies, so here goes. This was a 2-for-1 from 25 years ago. The team name was changed a month later to the "Aeros," and the mascot was renamed, "Orbit."

 

https://apnews.com/article/664ba6df4ce3cb6cb4c5183bb07e7938

https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/08/19/1997-2013-akron-aeros-baseball/

 

October 17, 1996

 

AKRON, Ohio (AP) _ The owner of the Akron Blast won"t change the name of his minor-league baseball team despite complaints that it is in poor taste. Team owner Mike Agganis announced the name last week, saying, ``The Akron region and Ohio are the home of the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and Judy Resnik.â³ Resnik, an Akron native, was one of seven astronauts who died on Jan. 28, 1986, in the space shuttle Challenger explosion, the worst accident in the history of space exploration.

 

The Akron Beacon Journal immediately criticized the choice, as well as the decision to name the jet-pack-wearing mascot ``Kaboom.â³ In an informal telephone survey, the newspaper reported that 2,400 callers opposed calling the team the Blast, while only 300 favored it.

[Anderton]

Ouch.

[DanSteinberg]

I am probably lucky that I didn't personally cause a marketing faux pas, on a home studio product I once helped design.

 

A really long time ago I worked as a product manager at Mackie, and one thing we came up with was a "standalone console center section", as were starting to be seen from different manufacturers.

 

Since adjusting monitoring level was the most used control, I pushed to make that knob really big. Then we named the product the "Big Knob".

 

I thought it was a catchy name, and then my fellow product manager, who hailed from across the pond, explained to me what a "knob" was in his native English English.

 

Bonus punch line: My co-worker's nickname was "Woody".

[Anderton]

Well, at least they didn't give you the shaft after that.

[analogika]

I am probably lucky that I didn't personally cause a marketing faux pas, on a home studio product I once helped design.

 

A really long time ago I worked as a product manager at Mackie, and one thing we came up with was a "standalone console center section", as were starting to be seen from different manufacturers.

 

Since adjusting monitoring level was the most used control, I pushed to make that knob really big. Then we named the product the "Big Knob".

 

I thought it was a catchy name, and then my fellow product manager, who hailed from across the pond, explained to me what a "knob" was in his native English English.

 

Bonus punch line: My co-worker's nickname was "Woody".

Nice inside perspective!

 

The cheeky name doesn't seem to have harmed the product, I guess. I see it pretty often. :-)

[BMD]

I am probably lucky that I didn't personally cause a marketing faux pas, on a home studio product I once helped design.

 

A really long time ago I worked as a product manager at Mackie, and one thing we came up with was a "standalone console center section", as were starting to be seen from different manufacturers.

 

Since adjusting monitoring level was the most used control, I pushed to make that knob really big. Then we named the product the "Big Knob".

 

I thought it was a catchy name, and then my fellow product manager, who hailed from across the pond, explained to me what a "knob" was in his native English English.

 

Bonus punch line: My co-worker's nickname was "Woody".

 

Yep. And 'Trump' means 'Fart'. Make of that what thou wilt...

[Mike Rivers]

A really long time ago I worked as a product manager at Mackie, and one thing we came up with was a "standalone console center section", as were starting to be seen from different manufacturers.

 

Since adjusting monitoring level was the most used control, I pushed to make that knob really big. Then we named the product the "Big Knob".

 

I thought it was a catchy name, and then my fellow product manager, who hailed from across the pond, explained to me what a "knob" was in his native English English.

 

Hi, Dan. I didn't know you were practically a neighbor.

 

Names are indeed tricky, but you have to use common sense. Just like a record label wouldn't be confused with a computer manufacturer, the thing you turn to make an adjustment isn't likely to be confused with a body part - or taking the slang to the second level, a person who is in need of an adjustment.

[ajstan]

Since adjusting monitoring level was the most used control, I pushed to make that knob really big. Then we named the product the "Big Knob".

 

I thought it was a catchy name, and then my fellow product manager, who hailed from across the pond, explained to me what a "knob" was in his native English English.

... and now the Montage and the MODX feature the "Super Knob". Looks like you were ahead of your time!

 

https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-1-super-knob

https://yamahasynth.com/learn/MODX-Series-Synthesizers/super-knob-common-mastering-modx

[Anderton]

I can see where this is going...

 

Super-Duper Knob

Huge Knob

Mega Knob

Turbo Knob

Giga Knob

Gargantuan Knob

Behemoth Knob

Brobdingnagian Knob

KONG KNOB

[analogika]

There was also this oneâ¦

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2222783.stm

 

(Note to self: vet all track and album titles for genocidal references!)