I never miss the opportunity to play tricks. It comes to me from my uncle Doris Lussier. He had once called my father, who ran a grocery store. Posing as a customer, he told her he wanted to buy a batch of canned bananas in vinegar. Always quick to make a sale, my father had searched, in vain. Also a prankster, my father had informed me that the store had mistakenly delivered three pounds of haddock to one of our neighbors. I had to go get them. I understood a little late that it was about fish and that we were the 1is avril.
Minister of Foreign Trade, I was one day with the management team of the company Téo Taxi, then nascent and promising. I was told that the name Téo had been chosen because it is present in many languages and that the company was aiming to export the concept. “Didn’t it bother you that in Mandarin, Teo means ‘rat’?” I tell them with the utmost seriousness. I admired the restraint with which they stammered that China was not in their expansion priorities. I saved them from their embarrassment by admitting that I had just invented this translation.
All this to come to Beneva. This word, which does not exist, was chosen to represent the merger of two Quebec insurance successes, La Capitale and SSQ, originally called Quebec Health Services. I am informed that 11 editors submitted 2748 options to find a “short and evocative name whose pronunciation was consistent in both languages” of Canada. Officially, “the strength of the name Beneva lies in its meaning and the very etymology of the word — well (“well” in Latin) and va (“go”) — points to the positive”.
We are among adults, so let’s be honest. The company which made its fortune thanks to the French-speaking market of Quebec wishes to extend its market shares in English Canada. It is therefore imperative, in its commercial display, to erase its origin. Exactly like the Bank of Montreal now presents itself everywhere as BMO. As if the word “Montreal” brought bad luck. And we can’t help but notice that the closest French word to Beneva is “volunteer”, which is the opposite of selling insurance. The closest English word is ” benevolent which means “benevolent”, perfectly suited to the product.
It is true that the use of French to sell products to Anglophones is generally only done in very specific cases. The perfume, of course. Miss Coco, I love and Life is Beautiful are among the biggest sales successes in the US. In gastronomy, French is a sign of quality, as in this New York brand name, not validated by Grevisse: La Yogurt. The language of Molière is also ideal for selling at exaggeratedly high prices overly ugly handbags.
As soon as we move away from the world of luxury and the superfluous, the French flag drops. Car manufacturers in France speak English in their own market. The Renault site offers “The Originals Store”, its SUVs are, as with the Anglos, SUVs, renamed ” Silent urban vehicles “. Peugeot offers its new “208 Like”. Choose according to the “Power of Choice” and, thanks to the “MyPeugeot” application, you can find the “Charge my Car” offer from “Free2move”.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen advertises in France with a slogan in German only: ” The car “. Translation: the car. It’s strong ! But the decoding is simple. It’s German, so it’s good. For a nation that has invaded France three times, it takes a certain nerve not to lower its flag and restore its good reputation by insisting on its strengths. (Subliminal: remember our tanks? It was solid!)
The Anglos obviously have no inhibitions. When you think you’ve made quite a find with the name “Canadian Tire”, why bother translating it? “Canadian tire” is indeed even less appealing.
As long as we show a little linguistic courage, it is possible to make triumph, in the English-speaking world and outside the beaten paths of luxury, a French-speaking brand. Nothing, absolutely nothing, predisposed Quebec to become a reference in circus. Guy Laliberté could well have decided that, to cross the border, his capitals would bear the name of “Circus of the Sun”. But Cirque du Soleil is now not only a recognized brand, but a reference, including for comedians looking for a metaphor for a contorting politician.
This is not the only example. In Europe, tanker planes that fight forest fires are generally called “Canadair” even if they do not come out of our factories. Bombardier has established itself as the gold standard for snowmobiles and, unfortunately, rolling stock.
So, if La Capitale and SSQ had wanted to show respect for their place of origin and the customers who have made them successful, perhaps they could have found a rich, meaningful, attractive French word. Take the word “sun,” for example. They could have matched it, in English, with the slogan: Insurance that keeps you warm (an insurance that keeps you warm).
French companies, although forming the 7e global economy, have essentially given up the fight. In New York, in December, Emmanuel Macron opened the ” French Touch Conference on his country’s digital economy. See, they don’t even try.
Fate and history have made Quebecers the last resisters of French-speaking identity in the face of Anglomania. If our large companies, such as La Capitale and SSQ, do not feel united in this fight, where do we stand Beneva?
[email protected]
Blog: jflisee.org