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May 9, 2007
Say What? Unintelligible Chinese from American Companies
Few American companies target the American home with Chinese language mass mailings. Comcast, a major cable TV and internet provider in the U.S., is one of them, but its flyer is a disaster.
What exactly does 立省多達 $400 mean? A contraction of "immediately save more, up to $400," perhaps? But it ain't colloquial Chinese. No Chinese I showed this to could understand it without reference to the original English, thankfuly located on the reverse. And 貸記 as "credit to your bill?" 首選套餐 as "preferred package?" Simply execrable. The rest of the flyer is similarly unintelligible.
Vendors need to understand the first rule of marketing -- if they can't figure out what you're selling, they're not going to buy. Hire someone who knows the language and the culture before attempting to delve into an ethnic market. Cheap and easy translation of existing English-language copy, such as we see on this flyer, is a dead giveaway you haven't a clue what you're doing. And your potential customers will just walk away from you.
Comments
I wonder if that "Coke adds life" story is a actually true?
Comcast doesn't do well with the ethnic Chinese out here on the coast. I sure this won't help.
Posted by: Bob ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.asiabizblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 9, 2007 8:09 PM
Perhaps American companies are having a bit of fun with Asian customers along lines familiar to any English speaker who has spent hours deciphering the instructions that often come with products manufactured in Asia. The words are recognizably English and strung like sentences, but their meaning never crossed the Pacific with the goods.
Posted by: Miss Johnson From London at May 9, 2007 8:46 PM
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