Nigaz

[Derek]

<span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">Nigaz name sparks racism debate</span>

A marketing blunder in Nigeria has got online communities all of a twitter, after a joint oil and gas venture with Russia was named Nigaz.</span>

Nigerians No Nigaz, a group formed on the social networking site Facebook, says the name could be pronounced in a way offensive to black people.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8130334.stm

<span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span>

[Blackstar*]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign.

[Derek]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign. </div></div>

[Derek]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form..

Incredulous Twitterers quickly spread the story around, dubbing it a branding fail and prompting a number to suggest Nigaz should adopt a strapline along the lines of &quot;gas with attitude&quot;.

http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/916373/Gazprom-accused-branding-fail-Nigerian-joint-venture-Nigaz/

[Morpheous]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign. </div></div>
I think white people or non 'blacks' doing that add know what the N word is in any shape or form - no excuse.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign. </div></div>

The folks who are responsible for those negotiations in my opinion are most likely 40-70 year olds college educated comprising 50 Africans and maybe 10 Russians. They may not have had a USA advisor of any age, which would make it more likely they could have caught the street colloquial, use of the racist term and used mainly in the USA.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: More4us</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign. </div></div>
I think white people or non 'blacks' doing that add know what the N word is in any shape or form - no excuse. </div></div> Seem like nonnative english speakers to me.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: More4us</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

<span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign. </div></div>
I think white people or non 'blacks' doing that add know what the N word is in any shape or form - no excuse. </div></div> Seem like nonnative english speakers to me.

Nigeria-GazProm
First two then the next three letters in the second word=portmanteau <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">NiGaz</span>

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: NIgerian oil company partners Russia's GAZprom to form...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: More4us</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

<span style="font-style: italic">You mean nobody noticed?</span> </div></div>Maybe there weren't any Nigerians or black people involved in devising the marketing campaign. </div></div>
I think white people or non 'blacks' doing that add know what the N word is in any shape or form - no excuse. </div></div> Seem like nonnative english speakers to me.

Nigeria-GazProm
First two then the next three letters in the second word=portmanteau <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">NiGaz</span>

If they were english speskers this wouldn't happen.
It is too valuable and public to gamble with such a likely problem. I work with Chinese spesakers of english and quit eoften their pronounciation of english words are noting recognizable as the word.