What ChatGPT's French Fart Jokes Teach Agency Owners About Market Research

Hey Agency Owners,

Life just got extra weird for French speakers.

ChatGPT phonetically sounds EXACTLY like "Chat, j'ai pété."

Which translates to: "Cat, I farted."

So every time someone says "ChatGPT" around French speakers, they're essentially announcing they just let one rip to their cat.

"Is ChatGPT gonna steal your job?"

"Is Cat I Farted gonna steal your job?"

Try keeping a straight face during that business meeting.

The Marketing Disasters Hall of Fame

This isn't the first time global brands forgot to check their homework:

Chevy Nova in Latin America: "No va" means "doesn't go." Not great for a car.

KFC's "Finger Lickin' Good" became "Eat your fingers off" in China.

Coors Light's "Turn It Loose" translated to "Suffer from diarrhea" in Spain.

The Mitsubishi Pajero had to be renamed because "pajero" means "wanker" in Spanish.

And my personal favorite: Gerber baby food in Africa. They put a baby on the label, but locals thought the jar contained... actual babies.

The Agency Owner Version

Now here's the part that hits closer to home.

How many agency campaigns have you launched without really understanding your audience's world?

You research demographics and buying behavior.

But do you know their actual language?

Their inside jokes?

What makes them cringe?

The cultural landmines that could blow up your message?

Your Secret Research Weapon

Here's what most agencies get wrong:

They ask people what they want in surveys.

People lie in surveys. They tell you what they think you want to hear.

But you know where people tell the truth?

Reddit. Amazon reviews. Anonymous comment sections.

Places where they can bitch without consequences.

"How's your business going?"
Survey: "Great! Growing every quarter!"
Reddit at 2 AM: "I'm working 80-hour weeks and haven't paid myself in 3 months."

The Real Intelligence

Want to know what your market ACTUALLY thinks?

Don't ask them directly.

Watch where they complain.

Read their anonymous rants.

See what they're REALLY struggling with when they think nobody's watching.

That's your content goldmine right there.

Those late-night confessions are worth more than any focus group.

The Lesson

You can build the most sophisticated campaign in the world.

But if you don't understand your audience's reality...

You're gonna sound like you're announcing fart jokes to cats.

Do the research.

The real research.

Not the polite survey responses.

The messy, honest, 3 AM truth.

Your campaigns will hit different,
Laura

P.S. Somewhere in France, a marketing team is probably having a very awkward conversation about whether they can use "ChatGPT" in their presentations. Research matters.

P.S.S. Anything I should add to this list? Let me know.