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Discussion: International Faux Pas & Ad Comparison

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Week 1 Discussion Post

International Faux Pas

When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first-class seats in the Mexican market, it literally translated the "Fly in Leather" tagline as “Vuela en Cuero” which ended up meaning "Fly Naked” in some Spanish dialects.

In the late ’80s, KFC expanded to China and used its “Finger-Lickin’ Good” slogan which roughly translated to "Eat your fingers off" in Mandarin. Uh-oh.
Companies make mistakes when it comes to marketing products in different countries, using various languages, and in the context of diverse cultures. Many companies making the errors are huge multinational conglomerates.

Research an international marketing blunder made by a large company. Present an overview of the error. Analyze what went wrong and what negative implications the mistake had on the brand in the market where the faux pas was made.

The research for this post must be based on articles or books from the library’s full-text databases plus the company’s website (if applicable). Be wary of internet sources for this assignment. Many are filled with errors and inaccuracies. There is an abundance of urban legend on this subject.

This post should be 1 or 2 paragraphs in length (at least 100 words). Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite in the body of the post and add a reference list in APA format. How to cite and reference a YouTube video.

NOTE: failure to use research with accompanying citations to support content will result in reduced scoring (no higher than 75%) for all components of the grading rubric.

Week 1 Interactive Response to Classmates
Required Interactive Response to be made during week 1:

Select a post made by a classmate and critique how the error was presented. Is the blunder clearly defined? Is it properly applied to what we are studying?

Your reply should be one paragraph in length (or about 50 words) and must be substantive in nature. Do not simply say “I agree” or “That is great.” Specify why and be detailed in your explanation. You may use research in your responses, but it is not required.

In your own words, respond to the discussion and comments of classmates. Grades will be based on effectual, concise and interactive feedback. The excessive use of quotes will directly impact performance since this indicates a lack of comprehension and shows that you may not have mastered the concepts.

Week 2 Discussion Post

International Ad Comparison

Here are four Pepsi commercials from the 1980s and 1990s that show how the brand communicated with different country and regional markets:

Pepsi ads in the Soviet Union (1987)

Australian Pepsi commercial mid-’90s Blues Brothers

Spanish Pepsi Commercial with English Subtitles (Latin America)

Michael Jackson Pepsi Generation (United States)

Search YouTube, the internet, or a company’s foreign website for a commercial made for an international market and find a similar commercial for the same product or brand made for the U.S. market.

Compare the messages and visuals for both ads.
Are there certain qualities that are the same?
How about ones that are different?

This post should be 1 or 2 paragraphs in length (at least 100 words). Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite in the body of the post and add a reference list in APA format. How to cite and reference a YouTube video.

Week 2 Interactive Response to Classmates
Required Interactive Response to be made during week 2:

View the international commercial posted by one classmate and analyze if you think it would be successful in a U.S. market.