| Forget the saying 'the world is getting
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| | millions.*The fast food giant McDonald's
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| smaller' - it has gotten smaller.
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| | spent thousands on a new TV ad to target
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| Advances in transport and communications
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| | the Chinese consumer. The ad showed a
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| technology combined with the development
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| | Chinese man kneeling before a McDonald's
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| of a world economy have resulted in
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| | vendor and begging him to accept his
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| people from different nations, cultures,
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| | expired discount coupon. The ad was
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| languages and backgrounds now
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| | pulled due to a lack of cultural
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| communicating, meeting and doing business
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| | sensitivity on McDonald's behalf. The ad
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| with one another more than ever.There are
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| | caused uproar over the fact that begging
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| some observers that claim this new found
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| | is considered a shameful act in Chinese
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| intimacy has lead to a greater
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| | culture.* A nice example of how pictures
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| understanding of 'the other' and as a
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| | don't translate well across cultures is
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| result our cultural differences are in
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| | the time staff at the African port of
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| fact diminishing. However, in reality the
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| | Stevadores saw the 'internationally
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| opposite is true. As we come together our
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| | recognised' symbol for "fragile" (i.e.
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| cultural differences become accentuated
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| | broken wine glass) and presumed it was a
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| as we start to realise that the rest of
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| | box of broken glass. Rather than waste
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| the world is not reading from the same
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| | space they threw all the boxes into the
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| book. One area where this is now being
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| | sea.* When the US firm Gerber started
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| felt is in business.Very few businesses
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| | selling baby food in Africa they used the
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| can escape the need to at some point in
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| | same packaging as in the US, i.e. with a
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| time deal with foreign colleagues,
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| | picture of a baby on the label. Sales
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| clients or customers. Business is
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| | flopped and they soon realised that in
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| international and if an organisation
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| | Africa companies typically place pictures
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| wants to develop and grow it needs to
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| | of contents on their labels.* Pepsodent
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| harness the potential an international
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| | tried to sell its toothpaste in South
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| stage offers. Twenty years ago British,
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| | East Asia by emphasizing that it "whitens
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| European and American organisations doing
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| | your teeth." They found out that the
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| business abroad had very little
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| | local natives chew betel nuts to blacken
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| competition due to the lack of rival
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| | their teeth which they find
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| industrialised nations. Back then it was
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| | attractive.* The film "Hollywood Buddha"
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| easy to do business 'our way'. Today
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| | showed a complete lack of cultural
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| some of the world's largest economies
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| | sensitivity by causing outrage and
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| include Japan, China, Mexico, Brazil,
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| | protest on the streets of Sri Lanka,
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| India and Korea. As a result there has
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| | Malaysia and Burma when the designer of
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| been a small shift from 'our way' to
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| | the film's poster decided to show the
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| 'let's try and understand your way'. Why?
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| | lead actor sitting on the Buddha's head,
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| Because western organisations are feeling
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| | an act of clear degradation against
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| the impact a lack of cultural sensitivity
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| | something holy.* The concept of Big
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| can and does have upon business
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| | Brother was somehow taken to the Middle
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| performance.Many organisations are now
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| | East. The show was pulled of the air
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| investing heavily in providing staff with
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| | after its first few episodes due to
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| language lessons in order to be able to
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| | public protests and pressure from
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| crack foreign markets as well as
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| | religious bodies stating the show's mixed
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| providing cultural sensitivity training
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| | sex format was against Islamic
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| to address issues such as etiquette,
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| | principles.* A golf ball manufacturing
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| protocol, communication styles and
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| | company packaged golf balls in packs of
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| negotiation approaches. In a competitive
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| | four for convenient purchase in Japan.
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| world such businesses appreciate that
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| | Unfortunately, the number 4 is equivalent
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| greater cultural sensitivity will assist
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| | to the number 13 due it sounding like the
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| them in forging longer and more
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| | word "death". The company had to
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| prosperous relationships. Yet progress is
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| | repackage the product.LanguageThe
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| slow. Unfortunately a subconscious sense
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| | business world is littered with poor
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| of cultural superiority still seems to
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| | translations that have caused great
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| reign; one that assumes the rest of the
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| | embarrassment to their perpetrators due
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| world does business like us and if they
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| | to their lack of cultural sensitivity.
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| don't then they should.The world's
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| | The following are some of the choicest
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| inhabitants however come from many
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| | examples.* IKEA once tried to sell a
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| faiths, cultures, world views and
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| | workbench called FARTFULL - not a hugely
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| experiences which makes such an
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| | popular product for obvious
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| assumption futile. We are all different
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| | reasons.* Both Clairol and the Irish
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| and as a result doing business across
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| | alcoholic drink Irish Mist did not
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| borders (whether political, religious,
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| | properly consider the German language
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| cultural or linguistic) requires cultural
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| | when they launched their products there.
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| sensitivity, meaning a sense of empathy,
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| | Clairol's hair-curling iron "Mist Stick"
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| flexibility and creativity informed by
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| | and the drink "Irish Mist" both flopped -
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| cultural knowledge. As with most things
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| | why? 'Mist' translates in German as
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| in life, business has learnt the hard
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| | "manure".* The Japanese seem to have a
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| way.To illustrate how these lessons have
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| | particular flair for naming products. The
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| and are still being learnt we will look
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| | country has given us gems such as "homo
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| at some examples where a lack of cultural
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| | soap", "coolpis", "Germ bread" and "Shito
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| sensitivity has let a company, individual
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| | Mix".* A new facial cream with the name
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| or product down. For the sake of brevity
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| | "Joni" was proposed for marketing in
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| these have been summed up in two simple
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| | India. They changed the name since the
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| categories: culture and
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| | word translated in Hindi meant "female
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| language.CultureCulture comes in many
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| | genitals."* Coors had its slogan, "Turn
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| shapes and sizes. It includes areas such
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| | it loose," translated into Spanish, where
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| as politics, history, faith, mentality,
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| | it became "Suffer from diarrhoea."All the
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| behaviour and lifestyle. The following
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| | examples cited above could easily have
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| examples demonstrate how a lack of
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| | been avoided by conducting some basic
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| cultural sensitivity led to failure.*
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| | research in respect to checking the
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| When colouring in 800,000 pixels on a
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| | concept, design, shape, colour,
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| map of India, Microsoft coloured eight of
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| | packaging, message or name in the target
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| them a different shade of green to
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| | culture. In the majority of cases it is
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| represent the disputed Kashmiri
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| | simply assumed that 'if it is OK for us
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| territory. The difference in greens meant
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| | it is OK for them'. If businesses want to
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| Kashmir was shown as non-Indian, and the
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| | succeed internationally, cultural
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| product was promptly banned in India.
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| | sensitivity must be at the heart of
|
| Microsoft was left to recall all 200,000
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| | everything they do; from their personal
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| copies of the offending Windows 95
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| | interaction and relationships with
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| operating system software to try and heal
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| | clients to the products/services they
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| the diplomatic wounds. It cost them
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| | develop.
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