Ikea’s product names too 'sexy' for Thailand
Published: 8 Jun 12 15:34 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/41328/20120608/
While perfectly normal to Scandinavian ears, Swedish furniture giant Ikea’s product names often make Thai customers blush, sounding just a little bit too close to “sexy” slang.
- Ikea founder rated fifth richest in the world (17 May 13)
- India in no rush to open first Ikea store (16 May 13)
- India seals Ikea's emerging-market push (3 May 13)
According to the paper, the team spent almost four years before the company’s Bangkok launch last year by scrutinizing terms to see what they would sound like in Thai before transliterating them into the Thai alphabet.
In some cases smaller adjustment to the name had to be made to avoid embarrassment.
For example, the Redalen bed frame, to Scandinavian ears suitably named after a small Norwegian town, comes just a little too close to the Thai word for petting or even oral sex.
The pot plant Jättebra, meaning really good in Swedish, is also problematic, reports the paper, as it sounds like crude Thai slang for sex.
However, according to the report, the Thai team makes every effort to keep the names as close to the Swedish words as possible.
"The Swedish… words are important because they bring a unique character to the brand," Natthita Opaspipat told the Wall Street Journal.
The Local/rm
twitter.com/thelocalsweden
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Solna voted best place to live in Sweden
Solna, a suburb just north of Stockholm, is the best place to live in Sweden, according to a new ranking published on Friday by Swedish news magazine Fokus. READ () »
Ikea founder rated fifth richest in the world
Ingrad Kamprad, the founder of Swedish furniture giant Ikea, finished fifth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index published on Friday, with an estimated fortune of $55.6 billion. READ () »
LinkedIn profile lands Swede with hefty tax bill
A Swedish man is facing a five-million kronor ($750,000) add-on to his tax bill after the authorities took a proper look at his account on the professional networking site LinkedIn. READ () »
India in no rush to open first Ikea store
The first Ikea store to open in India may not be ready for years, with the India head of the Swedish furniture giant prepared to wait until the the perfect location is found for the first of the 25 planned stores. READ () »
H&M CEO to Bangladesh: raise minimum wages
H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson has urged Bangladesh to raise its minimum wage, adding the Swedish fashion giant is "willing to pay more" in the wake of a garment industry disaster which killed more than 1,100 people. READ () »
Pensioners to recruit ageing Swedish rockers
The Swedish Pensioners Association wants to cast off its "stuffy" image at the Sweden Rock festival, in a recruitment bid to set up a rock music subgroup of new members. READ () »
Sweden plummets in income equality ranking
The living conditions of most Swedes have improved in recent decades, but income inequality is growing rapidly, according to a new OECD report, which saw Sweden drop 14 spots from its first place ranking in 1995. READ () »
Swedish shop hits back: our Converse are real
Swedish retailer Coop has refuted complaints by US sneaker brand Converse that Coop stores are selling unauthorized pirated copies of the iconic footwear. READ () »
Young Swedes forced to live with mum and dad
More than half of Swedes in their twenties are stuck living at home with their parents in major metropolitan areas, with observers blaming politicians for abdicating any responsibility for dealing with lack of housing. READ () »
Converse in bid to ban 'fake' shoes in Sweden
Legendary US sneaker brand Converse has asked a Swedish court for permission to search outlets of Swedish retail chain Coop in a bid to clear near-perfect pirated copies of the iconic shoes off the shelves. READ () »
- 10/05 ABB executive to quit after five-year tenure »
- 10/05 Borg defends critique of strong Swedish krona »
- 08/05 EU green lights Volvo and Dongfeng merger »
- 08/05 Sweden sells toxic Baltic salmon to EU: report »
- 07/05 Swedish app lets 'everyone' write music »
- 07/05 'Invisible thread' can help fight fashion pirates »
- 06/05 The British barber a cut above the rest »
- 06/05 Government locks horns with opposition over jobs »
- 03/05 Spotify snags Swedish music app Tunigo »
- 03/05 India seals Ikea's emerging-market push »
| 17/05 | Account Executive - Sweden- Sofware Sales | Stockholm |
| 17/05 | Authorization Engineer | Västerås |
| 17/05 | Backend infrastructure Team Lead | Stockholm |
| 17/05 | Baxter Home Hemodialysis ? HHD Field Service EngineerBaxter Medical AB | Östergötland |
| 17/05 | Boutique Manager / Store Manager | Copenhagen |
| 17/05 | Business ConsultantTieto Sweden AB | Stockholm, STHM |
| 17/05 | Business Partner Sales to AkzoNobelExperis Finance | SKÅ |
| 17/05 | BUSINESS SOL ARCHITECT | Kista |
| 17/05 | C# DeveloperQlikTech | Lund-22363 |
| 17/05 | Clinical Evaluation ManagerPoolia AB | Göteborg, VTG |
- 17/05 Germany cool to France's EU economy plan »
- 17/05 Au pairs rules relax for non-German families »
- 16/05 Germany refuses to slam French economic policy »
- 16/05 Capri-Sun drink wins false advertising award »
- 15/05 Anaemic economy feels winter chill »
- 15/05 ThyssenKrupp bins 3,000 admin jobs »
- 15/05 Pay deal for metal workers averts strike »
- 14/05 First ever strike hits Amazon's German unit »
- 14/05 Volkswagen plans giant car plant in China »
- 13/05 Metal workers enter huge warning strikes »
- 16/05 Rob for Russian Speaking
- 16/05 pet carrier
- 16/05 Big Sister/ Nanny
- 16/05 I need an apartment any where in or near to Stockholm
- 15/05 English speaking babysitter
- 15/05 Lookinf for track driver job!
- 09:38 Online Shopping (Womens Clothing)
- 08:25 Posting parcel from Sweden
- 23:01 Where to buy rubbing alcohol?
- 22:21 Drinking laws in Sweden confused!
- 20:46 Questions concerning MV
- 19:25 My scary encounter with Swedbank.
- 18:07 Stay in Sweden when residence permit expires
- 17:39 Questions Regarding Swedish Literature
- 17:10 Eurovision 2013 finals prediction using statistics
- 16:18 Does any business owner needs a partnership
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Your comments about this article:
The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.
Then they wondered why it didn't sell in America.....
Now " IKEA" is funding a MOSQUE, Director of Community Affairs at IKEA, Mikos Svennson said, "Although this is the first time we have sponsored a religious institution, we believe that the mosque will find benefit with our sponsorship. IKEA loves to help cultivate burgeoning communities."
IKEA .....What are you doing ?