Case study – Failure Brand in

International Business
 Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz first tried entering the Chinese market, they did so under the name
“Bensi”. It sounds close enough to “Benz”, but sadly, it also means “rush to die.” –
Lost its first Impression
 KFC

KFC’s tagline “finger-lickin’ good” was

rendered as an invitation for Chinese
customers to “eat their fingers off,”
 PEPSI
“Pepsi brings you back to life” was given the far
more unsettling translation of “Pepsi brings your
ancestors back from the grave.”
 Case Study: Vicks VapoRub, or Ficks FapoRub?
Vicks, originally named after Dr. Joshua Vick,
assumed their storied brand name would hold
up as well in their new German market as it
does back home. They failed to realize, however,
that Germans pronounce “v” as “f,” and that in
German, “ficks” refers to a certain intimate act
performed behind closed doors.
Vicks has since rebranded itself in Germany to
the much more family-friendly Wick.