Korean Job Discussion Forums

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Firms Use Wrong Slogans
Many South Korean companies are coming up with English slogans as part of their global marketing activities, but many of the phrases fail to convince foreign customers due to their ungrammatical or inadequate expressions. Some of the slogans are even confusing customers as English speakers simply cannot understand what they mean. According to Choe Yong-shik, a marketing lecturer at Sejong University, these companies and organizations are only weakening their image with the weak catch phrases. "The more you invest in marketing overseas, the worse your image may become," Choe told The Korea Times. He is the author of a Korean-language book "What's Wrong With Korea's Global Marketing," which was released Monday.
By Kim Ki-tae and Reuben Staines, Korea Times (June 29, 2005)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200506/kt2005062917203311990.htm

http://photo.hankooki.com/gisaphoto/20050629/kt2200506291740130sss.jpg

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

komtengi · Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

All those slogans are fine in Korean, for Koreans.

Problem is, here it's still in Korean essentially -- "Korean using English words", as it were.

Another thing... it's not as though a few thousand white-face native English speakers haven't tried over the decades to fix these problems, or at least persuade a Korean or two that they might want to consult a native speaker next time, before they blow millions on a Konglish ad campaign.

But, I guess it takes a yellow-face marketing lecturer at Sejong University to go to the bother of writing a book and teaching a course on it before the tribe will take such advice on board.

And if you think those slogans above are horse manure, you should see what passes for German and other languages in chaebol advertising. I do suspect, however, that their Japanese ads go over really well.

"Milk Itself" .... Neutral

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

I could never understood what *tomorrow and global and you* meant... and I actually thought I was stupid.. glad someone's pointed it out that they were wrong!!!

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

Never had a problem with the adds because they are marketed towards Koreans. It allows you better to understand how they think in some ways. What kind of stoking works well for them and other little bits of insight.

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

"Secreted by milk cows" was and may still be the Einstein Milk slogan. (Okay children, who wants more bovine secretion? Me! Me!!)

When I moved house in the Itaewon area back in the late 20th century, the maid who'd worked for the family that lived in the house before me wanted me to keep her on. I guess she had her son or daughter pen a list of services she provided that read something like: "I cook the bulgogis and the cleanings". Also, "You very tired of washing yourself. Let me do it". And I did. I also got future little missives from her (or her daughter) left in the house: "I came to do my duty Tuesday. I cannot do my duty tomorrow. I will make sure I do my duty every day now".

A job in Hong Kong I nearly took promised "Competitive Salary, Peasant Accommodations" or was it "Peasant Working Conditions"? Long time ago.

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

Someone (with more energy that I) should link this to the old "Goofy Konglish" post.

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

Some times I just see these stupid slogans and I want to become the english police.

There is a cosmetics comercial on tv with the SKII Whitening Source but it sounds like Whitening Sauce. It smurfin drives me insane every time I see it.

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

The gym in our building now has a sign that says, "Use Towels in Separation."

My co-worker and I got a laugh out of that one.

I want to put up a sign that says, "Wash towels with frequency."

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

'Konglish' is more Korean than English. It may use English words, but is often unintelligible to anyone, and maybe even to most Koreans.

It's a decoration. Korea is just one of many countries that like to decorate in "English"

Now 'Konglish' pronunciation is a different matter.

But then again it is for Koreans exclusively, whom 99% of spend 99% of their lives talking to, I suppose.

Why learn the way the rest of the world pronounces anything? We aren't that interested!

"lushee and cashee? own Ownstyle teebee channel... "

simulated stereo · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:10 pm Post subject:

Enjoy your rice day.