International marketers must be careful to ensure that the messages they send are received and understood in the way they are intended. When the popular "Got Milk"? slogan of the 1990s turned out as "Are You Lactating?", marketers were flummoxed. And who would want to buy a vacuum cleaner when the slogan translates as "Nothing Sucks like an Electrolux"?

Verbal communication is by far one of the most complex of human phenomena. There are so many factors to consider when sending a verbal message, including the intent of the message being sent, who will be receiving it, and in what ways it might be interpreted. So how should businesses engaged in global marketing successfully communicate to multiple language groups? Very carefully.