Human Centric Group - Lost in Translation: What 100 Flights a Year Taught Me About Brands

Lost in Translation: What 100 Flights a Year Taught Me About Brands

Airports exhaust many travellers. Not me.

After more than a hundred flights a year, I have developed a quiet habit around global brand adaptation. While others rush through terminals, I look forward to what comes next not just the country, but the subtle transformation that awaits the brands I think I already know.

Because brands, much like people, change when they travel.

Sometimes they change their name. Other times, they rewrite their story. In some cases, they shift the very role they play in people’s lives. And once you start noticing it, you cannot unsee it.

Same Brand, Different World: Five Stories from the Road

Table of Contents

Same Brand, Different World: Five Stories from the Road
1. Burger King Goes Incognito in Australia
2. Fila’s Luxury Makeover in Taipei
3. Even Yogurt Can Be Seductive (If You’re in Italy)
4. The Many Names of the Same Dairy Brand
5. Coca-Cola in China: Not a Translation, a Reinvention
It’s Not Just Products Digital Platforms Do It Too
The Aperol Paradox: When a Ritual Becomes a Statement
The Deeper Lesson: Global Brand Adaptation Rewrites Everything
Global Brand Adaptation Is a Delicate Balance
The Question That Drives It All
About The Author

1. Burger King Goes Incognito in Australia

I first realised this in Australia. I was looking for Burger King and simply could not find it. Instead, there was something called Hungry Jack’s: same colours, same logo, same menu, yet a completely different name.

It turned out to be Burger King all along: forced into disguise decades ago because someone else had already registered the name locally. A global brand, reshaped by a local constraint.

2. Fila’s Luxury Makeover in Taipei

In Taipei, I walked into a Fila flagship store and paused. Such a prominent presence is rare for that brand in Europe but what struck me more was its positioning. Fila, which I had always seen as accessible, was presented as premium, almost luxurious. Same logo, entirely different aspiration.

3. Even Yogurt Can Be Seductive (If You’re in Italy)

In Italy, Müller did not compete on health like everyone else. Instead, it chose seduction. With the line “Fate l’amore con il sapore” (“Make love with the flavour”), it turned yogurt into something indulgent, almost intimate. And it worked.

Yet in the UK, the same brand feels lighter, more playful, almost innocent. Same product, different emotion.

4. The Many Names of the Same Dairy Brand

Working across markets, I saw how systematic this becomes. The same high-protein dairy line might be called HighPRO in Italy and France, YoPRO in Australia, Spain, Portugal or Brazil, GetPRO in the UK, or Oikos Pro in the United States. Even Danone itself becomes Dannon in America simply to be easier to pronounce.

Moreover, the role of the product shifts too. Take Activia: in some countries it sits in pharmacies, almost like a treatment. In others, however, it belongs in gyms or yoga studios as part of a healthy lifestyle.

5. Coca-Cola in China: Not a Translation, a Reinvention

The most elegant example I have seen remains Coca-Cola in China. Early attempts tried to replicate the sound of the name, but ended up meaning little or worse. So the company started again.

The final name, 可口可乐 (Kěkǒu Kělè), means “tasty happiness.” Not just a translation, but a reinvention. Familiar and meaningful at once. Coca Cola 500ml

It’s Not Just Products Digital Platforms Do It Too

Even digital platforms follow the same logic. TikTok, as most of the world knows it, does not exist in China. There, it becomes Douyin a parallel version shaped by entirely different behaviours and rules. Same DNA, different expression.

And then there are the everyday brands we think we understand. A coffee chain that signals routine in America, for instance, becomes a place to be seen in China. Similarly, a furniture retailer that stands for practicality in Europe turns into a lifestyle destination in parts of Asia. Meanwhile, a “people’s car” becomes a status symbol. Even a minimalist clothing brand can feel ordinary at home, yet like high design abroad.

The Aperol Paradox: When a Ritual Becomes a Statement

One of my favourite examples is Aperol.

In Italy, it belongs to the aperitivo a ritual, a pause, a moment that stretches time. It is not a trend; it is part of everyday life. But outside Italy, it transforms. In London or New York, it becomes a statement. In beach destinations, a backdrop. Elsewhere, something people aspire to.

The drink travels. The meaning changes.

The Deeper Lesson: Global Brand Adaptation Rewrites Everything

The more I travelled, the more I realised something simple: the more we move, the more we change. And if this is true for people, it is even more true for brands.

The moment a brand enters a new market, it stops being defined by what it is. Instead, it starts being defined by how it is interpreted.

This is where many strategies begin to break. Global brand adaptation is not automatic: what worked in one country does not automatically work in another, not because the product is wrong, but because the context is different. The reason is sometimes regulation, sometimes competition, and often a combination of culture, language and purchasing power.

Global Brand Adaptation Is a Delicate Balance

For audiences operating at the intersection of local and global traditional and modern this tension will feel familiar. Brands that succeed in complex, layered markets rarely do so by simple replication. They succeed by understanding nuance.

Nevertheless, adaptation is a delicate balance. Adapt too much, and a brand loses its identity. Adapt too little, and it loses relevance.

Over time, I have come to see this not as a one-off decision, but as a discipline a mindset, a continuous process of learning.

The Question That Drives It All

At its core, it comes down to one question:

“Why do people do what they do?”

Because behaviour can be misleading.

Motivation, however, is where the truth always lies.

About The Author

Matteo Rinaldi is a Senior Marketing Strategy Consultant and Co-Founder of Human Centric Group, with global experience driving double-digit growth for brands like Danone, Carlsberg, Revlon, PepsiCo, and Visa. Having worked across multiple continents, he specializes in leveraging cultural insights for impactful brand strategies. A passionate educator, Matteo teaches marketing worldwide, shaping future industry leaders. Previously, he worked with L’Oréal and Coca-Cola HBC. He is also a best-selling author in marketing.