Ikea is a global Swedish furniture company known for its affordable, stylish, and easy-to-assemble home decor products. As of February 2023, they have 460 stores in 62 markets. Although this organization participates in the global market at such a large scale, it has had instances of translation problems, which we can use to discuss International Market Communication.
An Insider article revealed that in 2012 Ikea’s team in Thailand found some of the product names had very inappropriate meanings in the Thai language. Products that were named in Swedish had completely different connotations in Thai. For example, “Redalen” was a bed named after a Norwegian town, but was very similar to a word for “getting to third base” in Thai. Another product had a similar issue by meaning “sex” in the local language.
An Ikea employee, Natthita Opaspipat, told the Wall Street Journal that “The Swedish…words are important because they bring a unique character to the brand.” But any organization needs to recognize that its branding and uniqueness need to work with cultural sensitivities. Branding and marketing need to work with any and every culture they’re participating in.
Photo by Matthew Schwartz
The use of inappropriate or offensive product names can have severe consequences for companies operating in foreign markets. It leads to a loss of consumer trust, damaging the company’s reputation. It is imperative for companies to invest in teams within the countries they market to that will properly translate, or even rename, products and marketing campaigns.
Ikea’s translation incident in Thailand serves as an important lesson for companies operating in foreign markets. It highlights the need for cultural sensitivity and awareness, even in a simple product name. By doing so, companies can avoid damaging situations and build stronger relationships with global consumers.
Participating in a global market means understanding global cultures and languages. International Market Communication depends on the willingness of a business to understand, appreciate, and cater to the intricacies of local cultures.
Global markets require global awareness