The Pitfalls of International Business

The Pitfalls of International Business

by CSIS: Center for Strategic & International Studies

The Pitfalls of International Business

The pitfalls of doing business in alternative countries will be massive and deep and there have been many samples of failed or embarrassing market entries for multi-national firms - here are some examples of what can happen when things get 'lost in translation':

Pepsi's "Come back alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave", in Chinese.

When Mitsubishi launched its Pajero 4WD in Spain they'd the shock of a lifetime. As they were promoting Pajero they forgot to require into account the word "Pajero" suggests that "jerk" in Spanish.

Electrolux had to require their slogan down which scan "Nothing sucks like Electrolux."
When Ford tried selling its car "Pinto" in Brazil it was a huge failure. The explanation - the word "Pinto" may be a slang for small penis in Brazil.

Parker pens slogan "Avoid Embarrassment - use Quink," when translated into Spanish came out as "Avoid pregnancy - use Quink."

General Motors tried promoting their fashionable Chevrolet Nova in many Spanish speaking countries.

"No Va" means that "It Doesn't Go".

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

While there are various examples of slightly light hearted translation issues there are serious risks when taking a business into a distant market. A successful business in one country will not guarantee success in another where differences of culture, language, political persuasion and religion can hinder a successful release.

Blackberry phones have become vastly common in the previous few years as a mobile workplace of sorts. Users can browse the internet and send emails just as if they were sitting at their desk. The galvanized design has lead the Blackberry to become one of the most well-liked sensible phones employed by over 40 million individuals worldwide. Analysis In Motion (RIM), the company accountable for the Blackberry, has become one amongst the darlings of the tech world. In 2009 Fortune magazine named it the fastest growing company in the globe - between July 2006 and July 2009 the share value rose by over 600%. But the perils of doing business overseas have began to bite and RIM is facing an increasingly tough regulatory landscape.

One in all the hallmarks of the Blackberry is that the encryption and security the system has and so confidentiality - a process that is beginning to ruffle the feathers of some countries concerned that they can't monitor what is being sent. Earlier in the year the UAE banned Blackberry services due to concerns over security and RIM failure to satisfy the county's telecommunications regulations, Saudi Arabia threatened a similar fate which was averted at the last minute. Whereas solely smaller markets the issue gained world attention and highlighted the problems many Western firms face operating in foreign markets. Last week India issued the identical ultimatum to RIM - allow us to monitor intercept messages or we tend to will clean up the network by the tip of the month. The Indian government is increasingly concerned the device is being utilized by terrorists who might be designing attacks. India has around one million Blackberry users and is that the fastest growing tel ecoms market - a shutdown may prove a disaster for the firm.

For RIM it is a double edged sword - by complying with the strain it faces a backlash of its greatest selling purpose - confidentiality - a major reason for it popularity with business professionals. On the other hand by not complying it risk having its service shut off. RIM's biggest growth markets are places like India, Indonesia and China - the latter 2 have already expressed reservations over RIM encryption.

The issues have not gone done well with shareholders with the share value down some 21% since the start of the month and down virtually 31% since the start of the year. Attempting times for a successful company and the following few months can see how they are available out of it. Political issues will be the most tough to navigate.

Kitty Cooper been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in international business ,you can also check out her latest website about: Fish Aquariums For Sale Which reviews and lists the best 200 Gallon Fish Tank