Americans abroad have a lot to cope with. As if language barriers and cultural differences don't make your international travels difficult enough, there's also the fact that a lot of your favorite products look different in other countries, too. If you're on vacation in France, for example, and would like to get a pack of 'Sour Patch Kids', you have to look for 'Very Bad Kids' instead. And you won't find 'Rice Krispies' in New Zealand -- they're called 'Rice Bubbles' there. To help you make sense of these (little) nuances, here's a list of alternate versions of familiar products you've left in the United States.
This post may include affiliate links.
The Designs On These Lipton Tea Cartons In Japan
Ideally, companies would only have to come up with a great product and a convincing marketing program and they would have a worldwide winner. But despite the obvious advantages they could gain, many fear that global marketing, as popularly defined, is too extreme to be practical. Mainly due to the fact that customers and competitive conditions differ across countries or because powerful local managers will not stand for centralized decision making.
Certain Food Items Must Show Their Excess Of Unhealthy Ingredients On The Packaging In Mexico
So they choose market segmentation. It's the process of dividing a market of potential customers into groups, or segments, based on different characteristics. The segments created are composed of consumers who will respond similarly to marketing strategies and who share traits such as similar interests, needs, or in our case, locations.
Geographic segmentation is actually one of the most common and straightforward types of market segmentation.
In Holland, Cool Ranch Doritos Are Called "Cool American"
You Can Get Oreo Sticks In Asia. Best Used As A Straw To Slurp Milk
The American Sweets 'Sour Patch Kids' Are Called 'Very Bad Kids' In France
This Bag Of Ruffles I Bought In Mexico Came With A Hot Sauce Packet
Red Solo Cups Labeled As "American" Cups In Netherlands
Yes because these red cups are in every US soap or movie especially if any teenagers/ college students appear. Outside of that, completely unknown in the EU --- throwaway is white or transparent, unless something specific (say, a panda) drawn on there. Thus, 100% American.
In Asia We Have Pringle Noodles
How To Piss Off An American
Canadian Kraft Macaroni Has A Fork On The Box While American Has A Spoon
In Europe, Budweiser Is A Different Brand Of Beer — So You'll Find American Budweiser Sold As Just Bud
In New Zealand, Rice Krispies Are Called Rice Bubbles
Smarties vs. Rockets. (Americans Call These Smarties, Canadians Call Them Rockets)
i thought smarties were like m&ms... or is that just an aussie thing?
This "American Style" Pizza With Hot Dogs Stuffed Into The Crust
American (Top) vs. Australian (Bottom) Sour Patch Kids
Cocoa Krispies (United States) = Coco Pops (United Kingdom)
Salted Eggs Flavored Lays Chips
Found These Canned Hotdogs In A Grocery Store In The Netherlands
These Lays Classic Potato Chips I Bought In China Are Called American Classic Flavor
In India, we have "American Style Cream and Onion" as a Lays flavor (along with "Indian Magic Masala", "Spanish Tomato Tango", etc...)... Never knew cream and onion was supposed to be classically American haha
Tomato Flavored Pringle’s In China, Surprisingly Good
In the UK Walkers do a tomato flavoured crisp, which IMO is the best flavour. However, it's only available in certain parts of the country; they’re missing a trick there.
Pringooools Sold In Brazil
That was only a special for the world cup, we had them in Sweden as well
These Sausages Were Culturally Imported From Germany And Became Popular In The United States. Now They Have Been Culturally Exported Back To Germany As "American Style" Hot Dogs (Picture Is From A German Grocery Store)
When was this ever popular in the US? I'm 40 and this is the first time I've ever seen or heard of hot dogs in a jar.
Frosted Flakes Are ‘Frosties’ In Europe
Axe Body Spray Is Called Lynx In Australia (For Copyright Reasons)
In Italy, They Have Coca Cola Light Instead Of Diet
Good Humor (United States) = Wall's (United Kingdom)
im pretty sure it's called like streets or something in Australia FYI
Yeah main milk bar ice cream brands are Streets and Pauls
Load More Replies...
Same in Lithuania (although it's not a self-sufficient brand - in partnership with a local brand)
Load More Replies... Well - this is not an American thing. Unilever is a dutch-british company.
In Belgium and the Netherlands it is called "Ola"
Load More Replies...
It's called Lagnese in Germany and Algida in Poland. Frigo in Spain and Lusso in Switzerland
Lagnese in Italy, it sounds like Lasagna :) here its called Algida, and its an Italian brand, founded in Roma in 1946, and bought from Unilever in 1998,
Load More Replies...
No, the original name is "Heartbrand" and is an universal logo/name used by Unilever (the main company) to reunite under the same roof all the ice cream manufacturing companies they've bought. The logo is then used with the Algida name for us in Italy, as Ola in Belgium, Langnese in Germany and so on.
Load More Replies...
That's because unilever has bought a lot of brands over the world and they kept original names. In France it's Miko since 1951, named after an associate son "Michel" (Mik) and the end of his dog's name "Ko".
Langnese is the original name. It's a German brand, started in the 1930s by Karl Rolf Seyferth, who bought the biscuit factory (from 1888) of Viktor Emil Heinrich Langnese in Hamburg.
Wall's in actually the founding name. Started in UK 1922. Became part of what now is known Unilever who purchased the main ice cream manufacturer in each country, kept the local name but aligned the heart logo. When they launch in new countries that didn't have an ice cream market they launch the brand as Wall's since it's the original.
Load More Replies...
each place it has a different name. When traveling through Europe I thought it was fun looking what each country there called it. When arrived in US took me a while to find it tho, but wasn't amused when I found it, comparing all the names, is one of the most bland and uninteresting
the original name is Algida, its an Italian brand founded in Roma in 1946
Load More Replies...
"Kwality Walls" in India (same logo); it's a really popular brand here. Idk why it's spelled Kwality and not quality though.
It's not the worst ice cream...but I wouldn't describe it as quality either
Load More Replies...
It's Selecta in the Philippines. All heart brand ice creams are owned by Unilever.
And in Ireland it's called HB. Logo is the same whatever the local name
Unilever's 'Heartbrand'. It cames in nearly 30 different names around the World.
This brands history started in sweden 1934. After a few procurements by other companies it is called GB-glace (glass) here since 1942.
cant agree, look on Wikipedia. its an Italian brand founded in 1946 and bought in 1998 from Unilever
Load More Replies...
Seems like this brand has a different name in nearly every country. Algida in Lithuania, which sounds like a crappy 90's local garage business started by a dude named Algis :D
Frigo in Spain!! And its famous frigo pie (strawberry foot shaped icecream)
The brand name depends on the country, like Miko in France, but all belong to Unilever
since 1998, but before was totally Italian brand, founded in Roma in 1946
Load More Replies...
GB Glace in Sweden, I thought it was a Sweden only company... You learn something every day :) (Googling it, it seems it was Swedish until bought by Unilever in 1996)
Wait, Walls is called Good Humor in the states? wtf, thats such a weird choice of name
It's called Miko in France, Lusso in Switzerland, Eskimo in Austria, and so on...
Load More Replies...
Dannon (United States) = Danone (Everywhere Else)
Because French 'Danone' sounds like English American 'Dannon'. With a different accent, though
Currently In Japan, Saw This Cola Pepsi
In Asia, we call all these drinks cola. Coca cola, Pepsi cola, Dr .pepper cola....
One Is Norwegian One Is American
Canadian Viva Puffs Look Different Than American Made Ones
Dr. Oetker (United States) = Cameo (Italy)
I think it's to do with a name alignment with the same product available in different countries. Many products have changed names over the years. In the UK, Marathon bars became Snickers, Opal Fruits became Starburst, Jif became Cif, etc.
Like Burger King is called Hungry Jack's in Australia? I guess there was already a Burger King there.
Load More Replies...
Weetabix in Europe is Weet-Bix in Australia, and actually invented in the later.
Yep. Pounding steamed wheat and drying it into flakes, then mashin' 'em together. Our proud contribution to international gastronomy.
Load More Replies...
I'm surprised Snickers, Milky Way, Mars, and 3 Musketeers candy bars aren't on this list. . Cuz that one's confusing. Here goes.........The U.S. Milky Way is sold as the Mars bar everywhere else. The international Milky Way is sold as 3 Musketeers in the U.S., The original U.S. Mars bar was a 3 Musketeers with almonds, but later added caramel, and then was renamed Snickers Almond. And regular Snickers used to be known as Marathon internationally.
Well SURPRISE Australia clearly couldn't decide between Mars bars and Milky Ways so now we have both
Load More Replies...
In the Netherlands, Cheetos are "Chipitos" and the cheese flavor I swear is like gouda. foto_1_smi...a42208.jpg 
I’ve never seen chipito before. I’ve seen Cheetos in almost every Dutch shop
Load More Replies...
In Europe they just changed the names, but in Asia they have more different flavor. And Japanese snacks are yummy!
Of course. Like South America. Different palette.
Load More Replies...
Check out DESERT DRINKS AND EXTOTICS (here in the US and online) if you wanna see even more odd things. And... YOU CAN ORDER THEM!!
Church Chicken is Texas Chicken here in Malaysia. maybe they worry we won't go if it has anything to do with religion with a church in the name? lol
It was the founder's surname, but I can see how a predominately Muslim nation would prefer not to mass-market something that reminds them of their former colonial masters.
Load More Replies...
So, you don't like chips, cereal, Mac and cheese, candy, soda, ice tea, or ice cream, but you like the beer? Got it, makes (no) sense
Load More Replies...
I think it's to do with a name alignment with the same product available in different countries. Many products have changed names over the years. In the UK, Marathon bars became Snickers, Opal Fruits became Starburst, Jif became Cif, etc.
Like Burger King is called Hungry Jack's in Australia? I guess there was already a Burger King there.
Load More Replies... Weetabix in Europe is Weet-Bix in Australia, and actually invented in the later.
Yep. Pounding steamed wheat and drying it into flakes, then mashin' 'em together. Our proud contribution to international gastronomy.
Load More Replies... I'm surprised Snickers, Milky Way, Mars, and 3 Musketeers candy bars aren't on this list. . Cuz that one's confusing. Here goes.........The U.S. Milky Way is sold as the Mars bar everywhere else. The international Milky Way is sold as 3 Musketeers in the U.S., The original U.S. Mars bar was a 3 Musketeers with almonds, but later added caramel, and then was renamed Snickers Almond. And regular Snickers used to be known as Marathon internationally.
Well SURPRISE Australia clearly couldn't decide between Mars bars and Milky Ways so now we have both
Load More Replies... In the Netherlands, Cheetos are "Chipitos" and the cheese flavor I swear is like gouda. foto_1_smi...a42208.jpg
I’ve never seen chipito before. I’ve seen Cheetos in almost every Dutch shop
Load More Replies... In Europe they just changed the names, but in Asia they have more different flavor. And Japanese snacks are yummy!
Of course. Like South America. Different palette.
Load More Replies... Check out DESERT DRINKS AND EXTOTICS (here in the US and online) if you wanna see even more odd things. And... YOU CAN ORDER THEM!!
Church Chicken is Texas Chicken here in Malaysia. maybe they worry we won't go if it has anything to do with religion with a church in the name? lol
It was the founder's surname, but I can see how a predominately Muslim nation would prefer not to mass-market something that reminds them of their former colonial masters.
Load More Replies... So, you don't like chips, cereal, Mac and cheese, candy, soda, ice tea, or ice cream, but you like the beer? Got it, makes (no) sense
Load More Replies...