Coca-Cola’s Strides to Bring the World Together through Localized Translations
Coca-Cola is known for its magnetic appeal to a global audience. It has products in every country but North Korea and Cuba. It has dominated the soft drink industry with a force that cannot be reckoned with. Its use of targeted marketing, which includes localized translations, is impeccable. For starters, Coca-Cola has made sure that employees in every country have a code of ethics to follow in their native tongue. This is to ensure that each employee has no excuse with regards to what is expected of them and how they can make Coca-Cola stay at their best, exceeding their highest expectations. Coca-Cola has a team set up in every region dedicated to tapping into the consumer base. These regional teams focus on all areas of their campaigns, from billboards to social media, recognizing the cultural nuances and perfecting their campaigns in the native tongue of each region.
They’ve had a few marketing mishaps along the way, but these were fixed immediately. For example, when Coca-Cola first tried translating their name into the Chinese it became, “bite the wax tadpole” or “female horse stuffed with wax.” They learned quickly from their mistakes and got more involved with their target audiences. They not only want to learn more about the languages of the world, their culture, history, customs and art forms; they are completely in tune with bringing the world together. One of Coca-Cola’s main goals has always been to unite the world together in peace and harmony. This could be why they are so well loved, aside from their tasty selection of drinks.
I believe one of their most beautiful and successful ad campaigns was in 1971. The “Hilltop” commercial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VM2eLhvsSM) is ultimately “The Real Thing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7w0i5zfXmI). Even in today’s world, Coca-Cola is making efforts to unite the world in “peace and harmony,” including through high-quality localized translation services.
By
Rachel Kraft, Marketing Manager ~ GLS