By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Hyundai Motor's ``Drive Your Way,'' and KTF's ``Have a Good Time'' are examples of local corporate slogans with a Konglish (use of English words in a Korean context) feel making foreigners here raise their eyebrows. The so-called problem still exists, but companies and foreign business experts say it's part of ``globalization.''
``If a company is mainly trying to attract Korean consumers who only have a semi-English understanding, the point is not perfect English communication, but to convey the emotional feeling behind it,'' said Tom Coyner, president of business consultancy Soft Landing Korea, adding that this is not only the situation in Korea, but in most parts of Asia.
A growing number of global firms are localizing their marketing strategies to appeal to consumers of a specific region.
He said, ``Companies are not stupid and they can easily hire people to get the correct English if they want.''
Some mottos that have been pinpointed were Samsung Anycall's ``Digital Exciting,'' Seoul Milk's ``Milk Itself'' and Kookmin Bank's ``Think Star,'' which were noted as having clumsy structures.
Michael Conforme, president and CEO of managing consulting firm GCT, said, ``The grammar is clearly wrong in some cases, but if it's effective in grabbing the main consumer crowd, who are we to be so quick to criticize?''
He said even in the U.S., word jingles that might sound grammatically awkward are frequently used, citing Sony's ``Think Different,'' and the U.S. Women's National Basketball Association's ``We Got Game.''
But that doesn't mean Korean companies should market themselves with flatly wrong English, he said, stressing that those targeting the international audience should be extra careful.
They say criticism occurs because of people's perception thinking that the mistake was not made intentionally, but out of ignorance.
``Ironically, the slogan `Drive Your Way,' which was derided as Konglish, was made by a foreign consulting firm that, of course, knows their English inside out,'' said brand strategist Lim Song-bong of Hyundai Motor.
He said the catchphrase was decided after a four-month period of studies and surveys both here and overseas to make sure the campaign is right.
``A corporate or brand slogan is not like a college entrance exam where grammar is the focus. It's what reaches a specific consumer group at the heart,'' said Lim, adding that many major firms do not use the same mottos overseas. The world's sixth-largest automaker currently uses ``Think about it'' in the U.S.
Lim explained that consumer surveys tell them that a large number of the public wants a Korean motto _ for example, like LG's ``Love you, LG'' campaigned in Korean _ but language usage is something corporations are constantly mulling over because younger generations welcome English.
``Whichever language is used, slogans are undoubtedly crucial to a company's image,'' said marketing consultant Lim Hyo-taek, adding that firms can lose or gain a fortune just with a few words.
Some famous catchphrases overseas include Adidas' ``Impossible is nothing,'' Nike's ``Just Do It'' and GE's ``Imagination at Work.''