The diversity of cultures around the world is reflected in languages and communication

When KFC translated its slogan "Finger Licking Good" it became "Eat your fingers" in Chinese; similarly "Pepsi is for Generations" became "your grandparents will come out of the grave to drink Pepsi." Studies showing how linguists have divided the study of spoken or verbal language demonstrate how verbal and non-verbal communication can have an impact on marketing around the world.

Linguists have divided the study of spoken language into four main areas: syntax (rules of sentence formation); semantics (system of meaning); phonology (system of sound patterns); and morphology (word formation). Unspoken or nonverbal communication includes gestures, touching, and other forms of body language. Both the spoken and unspoken aspects of language are included in the broader field of semiotics, which is the study of signs and their meanings. Language is a crucial tool for communicating with customers and channel intermediaries. Words have different meanings in different cultures. For example post in America may refer to putting something on a bulletin board, whereas in British English it may mean mailing through the post office. Similarly, Miller Lite was considered to have less alcohol in Europe, whereas Diet Coke was considered as a dietary supplement in the Middle East. Changes were made to market Miller Lite as Miller Pilsner in Europe and Diet Coke as light coke in the Middle East. In addition to syntax and semantics, phonology can have an impact. For example there is no letter that sounds like P in Arabic so Pepsi sounds like Bebsi and Popeye's sounds like Bobeye's. Similarly, sounds of r and l are intermixed in Chinese. In the United States recently, Sioux Gateway City airport decided to keep the symbol "SUX" although there were a lot of comments about its phonology. On the other hand, the airport decided to use it in marketing by using the slogan "Fly SUX" thereby making it easy for people to remember it. Semantics can also have an impact, such as the word Esso has negative connotation in some languages; Nova (as in Chevy Nova) meant it does not move and Colgate means "go hang yourself" in Spanish. Also, nonverbal cues can have different meanings. In some cultures shaking the head from right to left is considered as yes whereas it means no in some other cultures. Shaking hands is considered as finalizing the deal in some cultures and in others it is just an introduction. There are different ways of bowing in Far Eastern cultures to indicate different aspects. Thus, verbal and nonverbal communications have a distinct impact on marketing practices.