Marketing Mexican History
Just as we tuck away our green shirts from St. Patrick's Day, May arrives bringing us a new celebratory holiday. And consumers aren't the only ones celebrating.
A minor holiday in Mexico, celebrating a victory over the French at the Battle Of Puebla, Cinco de Mayo gained popularity in the 1950's and 1960's because of the Good Neighbor policy, an effort to build a better relationship between The United States and Mexico, according to National Geographic.
The commercialization of Cinco de Mayo began in the 1980s. American corporations were eager to appeal to the expanding Hispanic population in the U.S. and saw Cinco de Mayo as vehicle to tap into that market. Anheuser-Busch and Miller Company created Hispanic Marketing departments and began sponsoring Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Thanks to widespread marketing efforts, the holiday has evolved into a drinking holiday for many people. Cinco de Mayo has become to beer companies what Valentine's Day is to greeting card and candy companies.
So enjoy the discounts at your local Mexican restaurant, especially the chips and brand salsa!
Go Forth and Add!
As we have learned from the Chevy Nova, it is important to perform an accurate linguistic screen in all markets where you intend to launch your product. As you may have heard, the Nova was not such a big hit with Spanish-speakers. Translated literally, its name means “star” but when spoken it sounds like “no va” meaning “it doesn’t go.” Oops.
Recently, PepsiCo announced that it is teaming up with Eva Longoria Parker to promote their new campaign, titled “Yo Sumo.” The campaign, inspired by this decade’s census, is to encourage Hispanics, especially the younger generation, to not only be counted numerically, but also share their experiences of how they have contributed to making a difference in the American landscape. The campaign is truly inspiring as it motivates multicultural America to participate not just be another number.
The problem here is this: Yo Sumo is translated literally as “I count,” as in, “I add numbers,” or one plus one is two. This could be interpreted as a “math is fun” campaign. It could also evoke imagery of a certain Japanese style of wrestling.
Unfortunately, the subtle nuances and double entendre of “I count” are lost in translation. Would a better phrase have been “Yo Cuento” as the translational abilities offer a broader range of meaning? Or is leaving it “Yo Sumo” okay, so long as Pepsi imbues the desired meaning? I am left to wonder if a native Spanish-speaker contributed to the brainstorming and ultimate name creation of the campaign. If that’s the case, then perhaps instilling meaning is, indeed, the intention.
No matter what, thankfully, “Yo Sumo” definitely does not mean “it doesn’t go,” so hopefully the initiative will take off!
Vamos a Wal Mart!
It’s rough out there. The GDP is growing at an anemic rate, and while experts may not be using the R-word just yet, there is no doubt that we are in an economic downturn. And with a sluggish economy comes consumers who are more and more selective about where and why they spend their money.
So one can assume that this is probably not the best time for a value superstore to rebrand one of its flagship stores . . . right?
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