In my recent post below, I mention learning to “speak their language” in reference to marketers trying to reach Second Life members. No this is one subject, figure of speech aside, that I have some authority on. I’ve studies Spanish on and off for a total of 8 years and lived in close proximity to Spanish speaking communities in NY, AZ and Mexico. I also studied, Hebrew, Greek, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese which I’ve been “studying” for the last 20 years.
These filters are tricky. Language comes under culture in hierarchy. The trickiest thing about them is how virtually invisible they are to members. Everyone jokes with New Englanders about “paaacking the caaah.” Do you really think they take notice of that though when conversing among themselves-of course they don’t.
I’ll never forget how I used to drive some Taiwanese friends crazy with all these questions on things from their culture that really interested and stood out to me, and often got kind of baffled expression. Let me give a better example. My first roommate at the University of Arizona dorm I lived in was from Japan. He was there studying English, sponsored by ANA a large Japanese airline. Once, in an effort to stimulate some conversation with him, I asked him what it was like growing up on an island? I thought this was reasonable, since Japan is an island-nation. You should have seen the puzzled look on the poor guys face. Obviously didn’t know how to answer that-more correctly, didn’t have any “awareness” that his normal was an island. Now for the kicker-when it finally dawned on me about 3 weeks later that I too had grown up on an island, quite a big one in fact: Long Island.
Here’s where my fellow New Yorkers get worked up because in “New York speak” Long Island is Nassau and Suffolk counties, well OK. In fact the Long Island proper is made up of those 2 regions(suburbs of NYC in fact) and Brooklyn and Queens! The real point of this island hopping meme is to illustrate how the norm anesthetizes or desensitizes us. Come on-any of you that live in an area that has some tourism know how you laugh when out-of-towners point at stuff or stare at stuff or buy stuff that to you is as special as watching paint peel.
So, since people are prone to lack of awareness to their own surrounding cultures, how should marketers proceed in engaging those people? There are ways to ask questions and do survey samples to get people thinking and helping you, without realizing they are delving into to the cultural archives.
I’ve always enjoyed reading about some of the big marketing bloopers by multinational corporations exhibiting their ignorance of a given market/culture. Like GM’s Chevrolet Nova. One of the best sellers in the US at the time period but a dud in Mexico. Could it be because No va in Spanish means “no go.” Not the most savvy or auspicious name for an automobile implying that it isn’t “mobile.” There are also some great successes. I happen to be very fond of Coca Cola’s Chinese brand name. Kekou kele-literally “tasty and joyous” with sound very close to Coca Cola in English.
Funny how much marketing is like American’s abroad. Don’t speak the language, assume everyone is fluent in English, or certainly will learn enough of it for your visit just to serve you. How is this overcome, well by shouting of course. “How do I get to the Grand Alhambra,” not working then of course you’ll try, “HOW DO I GET TO THE GRAND ALHAMBRA.” That’s always a big hit with the locals, shouting at them in English. LOL.
Ahh, you don’t market internationally or to non-English speaking market. Well scale it. It applies just adjust the scale. You really think Bedford-Stuy and Beverly Hills or Hillsboro all same-same? We live in the land of the Longtail, the niche. So we need to speak “niche-speak” right? OK let’s try, er… ummm. Sprechen Sie nichespeak??
