Think carefully before naming a company
The recent joint venture between the Nigerian Government and Russia’s Gazprom has caused much comment recently because of its name, Nigaz. This does conjour up images of a blinged Medevev and Putin offering to ‘Pimp My Oil Tanker’, but one can only wonder why nobody had noticed the poor choice of name.
The EU is no stranger to this type of controversy. The rapid alert system for all dangerous consumer products, with the exception of food, pharmaceutical and medical devices goes by the name of ‘Rapex’ and has the slogan “Keeping Europe’s consumers safe”. During the formation of this outfit, did nobody notice the name? You mat be interested to learn that the original Rapex was an anti-rape sheath from South Africa, looking like a condom with spikes on the inside, something that wouldn’t keep some consumers safe.
The internet has other dangers for those careless with words. An example is Los Angeles’ Therapist Finder. Unfortunately the website address www.therapistfinder.com is all to easily read as ‘the rapist finder’, an entirely different service. Here are three more genuine examples:
- Experts Exchange is a resource for programmers and technicians to share information. www.expertsexchange.com
- Visit Pen Island for hand made custom designed pens. www.penisland.net
- Where does Italy get its electricity from? Powergen of course. www.powergenitalia.com
The global nature of trade can raise some dreadful translations and cross-cultural confusion, if not outright offence. The German company Degussa once marketed an insecticide under the slogan ‘Sudden death is a German speciality’ that angered Jewish groups. General Motors tried to sell their Nova car in Spain, but sales were very low. Then they found out that ‘no va’ means ‘it doesn’t go’ in Spanish.
Rolls Royce also tried to sell their exclusive new model, the Silver Mist in Germany, unaware that mist is a slang term for manure. Parker Pens advertised a ballpoint in Mexico where the slogan ‘It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.’ was translated as ‘It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.’ Leaving customers to wonder what exactly their ink was made of. Meanwhile Electrolux bravely tried to sell their vaccum cleaners in the US by proudly declaring that ‘Nothing Sucks like an Electrolux.’
But for the real experts in blending branding and befuddlement we have to look at politics. As the new groups form in the European Parliament, is there any sensible explanation why the Independence and Democracy Group is now Europe for Freedom and Democracy? They dropped independence for freedom. How does that explain their position?
In the UK, the Department of Trade and Industry was changed to the Department for Productivity, Energy and Industry in 2005. This didn’t go down well, so it was withdrawn after only a week, at a cost of 30,000 pounds sterling. It’s now called the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. That’s all clear, isn’t it?
