Do you know this brand?
Have you ever seen familiar, well known shape of product or
brand with rather strange name? I suppose your answer is „yes”, especially if you’ve
been in other country. In this article I’ll try to present well known brands
but in other style or changed name.
McDonald’s
It won’t be risky when I say that „There is nobody who
doesn’t know McDonalds”. There are over 32 000 restaurants over the World (388
restaurants in Poland). It’s rather the most famous fast food bar in the World
but not everywhere it’s called McDonalds… In America, people are going to „McDonald’s”,
in our country we would say „let’s go on Mac” but Australians says „Macca’s” and
it’s so popular that board members of McDonald’s have changed it’s name in 2013.
Tymbark
Who doesn’t love Tymbark’s juices? Tymbark company was
founded in 1936. It’s Polish company but you can try those juices or drinks not
only in our country. It may be more difficult to find them in Bulgaria or
Hungary. It’s called "Queen’s" in Bulgaria or even "Topjoy" in Hungary. I can’t
imagine somebody who could say „I’m drinking Queen’s juice…”.
MilkyWay
MilkyWay was my best when I was a child. This product is
sold all over the World but it’s only Europe version of „3 Musketeers” candy bar.
Moreover, you can find a MilkyWay bar in America but when you open it, you’ll
find our Mars bar 😊. So in USA when you want to eat Mars, you
have to choose MilkyWay and if you rather prefer MilkyWay, you wolud buy „3 Musketeers”. It’s strange, isn’t it?
Questions:
1.
Have you known about changed name of those
brands in other countries?
2.
Do you know some other products with changed
name?
3.
If you want to eat polish Mars in USA, what
would you buy 😊?
Comments
No, I haven't met the changed names of these brands yet, however it may be connected with the fact I don't have to buy only Polish goods abroad.
Actually, I know a bit about cars. For example, our European Opel calls Vauxall in the UK, but I am not sure is it an appropriate example, because Vauxall Motors is a British manufacturer and they just use Opel car bodies and its interior.I leave space for discussing on this issue :)
Not really, I would rather try some local food
2. Yes, there are plenty of brands that use other names in other countries. For example, ice cream make Algida is known as GB-Glace in the UK, as GB-glass in Sweden, Frigo in Spain and differently in some other countries. Also, the brand known as Fairy in Poland is at the same moment YES in Sweden. There are many more examples of that and I could go on for ages.
3. I'd get a MilkyWay, as stated in the post. But actually, I'd just keep eating Reese's bars, they're the best!
But for example, Lays in Brazil as Chipsy. KFC in Canada PFK :)
I don't know about MilkyWay, but maybe something else I would buy.
I would buy MilkyWay thanks to you!
For other example let’s take Lay’s called Walkers in UK or Burger King existing as Hungry Jack’s in Australia.
As for buying sweets in US, just like Emil, I’d also get Reese’s - they truly are the best.
Canadian Quebec province has strict naming laws that make French the language of business. These laws force companies to change even the most established brand names into French:
http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/quebec-cracks-down-on-english-brand-names-forces-prominent-french-signage-to-be-included A popular example is Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is sold in Quebec as Poulet Frit Kentucky.
This topic reminded me about a legendary phrase "Royale with Cheese" spoken by Samuel L. Jackson in a conversation with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction.
I would buy MilkyWay! Thanks, now I'm ready for my USA trip :)
Definitely i need to buy MilkyWay.
If i want to eat MilkyWay i will buy 3 musketeers! ;D
I am guessing that there are plenty of brands with names changed depending on the target market. I can give example of Opel cars which are marketed under Vauxhall marque in UK. Vauxhall is one of the oldest automobile manufacturers in Great Britain, acquired by General Motors (till 2017 also owner of Opel) and because of this brand awareness GM uses Vauxhall name instead of Opel on UK market.
In such a case I should probably buy Milky Way in USA.
About third question? I don't know the Mars name in the USA but I would find it by package! There must be some parallels :)
Any other products with changed names? I've read that in the UK Lays are named "Walker's".
If I wan to eat polish Mars in USA I would buy MilkyWay!
The other reason of rebranding is, well.. the actual name of product - I suppose at least some people know the famous Eye Center in Los Angeles..
As stated in the article, If I wanted to eat "our Mars", I'd go for MilkyWay..
Sweets manufacturers employ some pretty weird market practices, for example some sweets in Europe are on a several-year rotation, meaning that once every several years the producer changes the country to which it delivers some product. Milkyway MagicStars are a good example of this. They were available in Poland when I was 5-years-old, then they were discontinued on polish market, and only recently did they come back. I suppose the idea was to starve out the market to create demand for when they eventually come back. Unfortunately they waited way too young, everyone who remembers them from their childhood is already an adult. Another problem was that they were always available in some countries, so if you really wanted some, you could just buy them on e-bay.
Another interesting thing with brand recognition happened in Warsaw during the soccer world championship a few years back. There was a zone where you could watch the games in the city centre, and McDonald's had a exclusive deal for placing billboard commercials in the vicinity. BurgerKing also wanted to have an add there, pointing to their nearby restaurant, but they couldn't place their name on the billboard. Instead they placed a commercial with their brand colours and the shape of their flagship sandwich in the middle. Nowhere did it said it was a BurgerKing commercial, but everyone familiar with the brand could easily tell at the first glance.
I know about "Lays" crisps. Originally it was invented in the UK as "Walkers".
Nowadays in the car market we also have:
- Opel = Vauxhall = Buick
- Honda = Acura
- Scion = Toyota
The only brands with different names I can recall are Lay's and Algida. They have different names in various countries but it's quite funny their logotypes looks almost the same everywhere, so it's easy to distinguish them.
I doubt that I would like to eat Mars anywhere, but if I wanted to while being in the USA, I'd go for MilkyWay to get the same taste.
2) Nope, i never cared and i still don't care.
3) I wouldn't buy. I'd bring a pack with myself, because it would be cheaper that way.
If I want to eat polish "Mars" in the USA I will buy a "MilkyWay". I know it only from your post but this fact is a bit strange. :)
But it was more about the problems of the spelling in different languages.
I don't think I will face the situation with Mars or MilkyWay in USA, because I don't really like sweets, and if would like some, i will by something unfamiliar to try something new.
I would buy MilkyWay, but to be honest im not huge fan of sweets, I love fast food!
I’d have to go with MilkyWay to eat “polish” Mars.
For example Daewoo Matiz was sold in different countries as Chevrolet Spark, cause Daewoo brand was absent on markets.
In the US, I would buy a Mars called the Milky Way. In my childhood, I loved the Milky Way bar, but now I'm completely indifferent to it.Thanks to the author for the interesting article.