An Open Business Letter to the Nissan Motor Corporation:
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Re: Cars & Cockroaches in Israel!
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An Original Business Blog Article by Yonatan Maisel
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Dear Nissan Motor Company,
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Very recently, at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, your company debuted the mini-crossover vehicle, the Nissan Juke.
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Firstly, let’s get down to the vehicle itself. I am not an automobile reviewer or critic, but in my humble opinion it is a LOVELY looking vehicle. Were I not a freelance writer, and if I had a salary which allowed me to own something newer than my 12 year-old Fiat, I’d be pleased to drive a Juke.
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And it appears I’m not alone. Car and Driver Magazine calls it Compelling! Road and Track says Wild looks with a friendly character! Says automobile critic Honest John in his review of the vehicle: "Nissan ambitiously expects to sell 20,000 Jukes in its first full year of production, which will be 2011. And I can see that happening. A plague of Jukes is about to descend on the landscape, devouring young mums and their offspring and raising eyebrows wherever they go. Expect an unfamiliar looking car to start becoming very familiar indeed."
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Wow Nissan! Great looks, great reviews and full-scale production beginning in 2011!
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It appears that you have the formula for success for your new wunderkind vehicle throughout the world!
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Except maybe…
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In Israel.
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Mr. and Mrs. Nissan Advertising and Marketing Guru, let’s take a small step back in history. Once-upon-a-time the Chevrolet Motor Co. came out with an awesome automobile called the Nova. It was an American muscle-car which took the U.S. by storm.
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Yet there was one small problem with the name. In Spanish-speaking countries where Chevrolet did much of its business, Nova means "doesn’t go!" Latin America largely balked at the new model. This branding episode is widely considered to be one of the biggest naming "boo-boos" in Business history.
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Product naming and branding is a complicated undertaking. One has to take into account not just the major markets in which the product will be available. A company must take into account periphery markets and do some homework to ascertain meanings, definitions and translations into the local language and dialect. Failure to do so can have rather devastating financial consequences and repercussions.
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As the experts at Brand Identity Guru explain: A great brand name is one of the most powerful forces in branding, marketing and advertising. It is at once the story (along with negative and positive associations) about what makes you different from your competitors and the emotional tug that connects you with your audience—all in one or a few words.
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Which brings us back to the Nissan Juke…
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You see, in Israel, where the model will be debuting very soon, the name Juke has a special meaning in Hebrew, the native-tongue of the "Land Flowing With Milk and Honey"…
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A Juke is a Cockroach!
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Yes, perhaps one of the most despised and reviled creatures on the face of the earth. One, which just the sight of, evokes thoughts of filth, uncleanliness and lack of hygiene.
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Again Nissan, your vehicle is beautiful! And according to the the many reviews I have just read, it is an example of technological savvy and innovation.
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I’ll be watching from a Marketing perspective, however, and perhaps you will be as well, to see if the discerning Israeli driver is able to reconcile with driving around in a car called…
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"The Cockroach!"
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Image Credits: Cockroach: shakespearecockroaches; Nissan Juke: nissan-juke.sgpetch.co.uk; Israeli Flag: jewishcenter.org; Chevy Nova: atimetolaugh.org; Person typing: sharkbytesblog
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_____________________
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Yonatan Maisel is a Business blogger, history buff and author. He specializes in all aspects of Business writing.
From speeches to resumes, from corporate bios to research, from blogging to website content, from articles to ghost-writing, he provides the highest level of quality at a very reasonable price.
Alan,
Thanks!
From your perspective and expertise in automobiles, I thought you might appreciate this one.
Thanks for your kind words!
Yoni
Heidi,
The Chevy Nova certainly tops the list of poorly-chosen trans-geographic and cross-cultural product names. Perhaps if Nissan does not act soon, the “Cockroach” will take its place as the butt of another corporate branding joke!
Yoni
Hamed,
It is indeed crucial. A great product no matter how wonderful it is can be brought down with a poor choice in naming.
Thanks for reading and for commenting!
Yoni