Branding is the hardest part
by Volker Weber
Microsoft Corp. market researchers in Quebec found themselves in a potential linguistic pickle when they conducted consumer test-runs of the digital music player Zune, which the company officially announced on Thursday will be competing by Christmas with Apple's hugely successful iPod.
A Microsoft spokeswoman in Montreal told CanWest News Service that "it was pointed out to us" during focus groups in the province that the proposed brand name sounded much like a French-Canadian term used as a euphemism for penis or vagina.
Comments
Ok, but which is it?
Appears that they'll be selling their Zune for cash.
I think in Montreal, it doesn't matter which.
LOL! Now can we expect a new Zune form factor at CES this year?
I'm sure one of those small manufacturer shops upstairs in building three can crank out a few models and see what the interest is...."Look, it has a vibrate feature too!"
:)
That's a common problem. Guess why the Mitsubishi "Pajero" is sold as "Montero" in Spain? ;-) And in the UK it's called "Shogun" - why ever...
GM's Buick division sells a car in the USA called the "LaCROSSE" [link] but in Canada that same car is called "Allure" [link]. I don't speak French, but it is my understanding that US Buick name in Quebec French is slang for something similar to Zune but that it is more of an action than a noun.
There also is the case for the Toyota MR2, which is sold in France as Toyota MR. MR2 in French [ɛm ɛʀ ˈdø] sounds like "merde", [ˈmɛʀd]...(Shit).
This can also happen for names as well. I know one French girl named Fanny by her parents, and I have an indian colleague whose name is Ashish. Hard to keep a straight face in those situations.
I guess I have a particularly lucky name :-)
Me too :-)
