Lost in translation?

by Andrea Rudchenco

Though we share the same sun and moon, marketers often find themselves many oceans and moons apart in their gargantuan efforts to get the message across.

The Declaration of Independence says that "All men are created equal". We are very alike, yet so foreign to one another at times. As we find ourselves amid a land of product placement and the survival of the fittest, are we all lost in translation?

Florida is the melting pot of infinite cultures, an endless supply of energy and vibrant colors. Understanding each other is neither a matter of pure translation nor a task as easy as black and white. As we begin to understand each culture, and the idiomatic expressions, we start to delve into the deep waters of a shady area where the marketing world encounters most of its problems. They are at least looking forward into meeting the new booming Hispanic population.

At 42.9 million, Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S. according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. is the 5th largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. With this in mind, communicators face an ever-growing need in finding a way of avoiding getting lost in translation.

A good way to avoid getting lost in translation is to transculturize exposing those similarities in thought that idiomatically set Hispanics apart. It is here where marketing messages are lost and targets completely missed.

Curious facts:

• Cats in the Hispanic world have seven lives, not nine.

• Friday the 13th does not sound as malevolent and horrific as Tuesday the 13th.

• Hispanics dish moderate portions and McDonalds super-sizes them.

• At picture time in the US, "cheese" prompts a smile but "whisky", a word that needs no translation, produces the same effect across the Hispanic lens.

Here is a list of some English Proverbs and their corresponding Spanish equivalents:

Birds of a feather flock together - Dios los cr¨ªa y ellos se juntan.
Literal translation: God breeds them and they get together.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket - No te lo juegues todo a una sola carta.
Literal translation: Don't play it all in one card.

It's the last straw that breaks the camel's back - Es la gota que colma el vaso.
Literal translation: It's the drop that tops the glass.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones - No hagas a los dem¨¢s lo que no quieres que te hagan a ti.
Literal translation: Don't do unto others as you wouldn't want done unto you.

Whether one's particular country of origin is characterized by its leather, meat and soccer (Argentina); coffee, emeralds, tropical landscapes and the Andean peaks (Colombia); coffee, mojitos and the finest rum and cigars (Cuba); Tequila, Cielito Lindo, beach resorts and picturesque locations (Mexico) or coral reefs and white sandy beaches (Puerto Rico), one thing is clear: We all come from many walks of life and live in a nation that houses a common goal in our hearts - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.