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ins Leere laufen

English translation: somewhat wasted (on this particular target group)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:ins Leere laufen
English translation:somewhat wasted (on this particular target group)
Entered by: Ingrid Blank

09:55 Apr 4, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research / market research report
German term or phrase: ins Leere laufen
Imagine an electronics manufacturer with proven competence in one particular type of product which unfortunately holds little appeal to their target group.

Die Stärke von ABC in diesem Bereich kommt bei der Zielgruppe gar nicht zum Tragen, da sie diese Geräteart generell für nicht attraktiv hält. Die Kompetenz von ABC
*** läuft damit gewissermaßen ins Leere.***

Any ideas for the part between asterisks?

Thanks,
Endre
Endre Both
Germany
Local time: 19:04
somewhat wasted (on this particular target group)
Explanation:
another option
Selected response from:

Ingrid Blank
Grading comment
This is what I ended up with. I liked "cuts no ice" a lot too (and used it elsewhere in my rather repetitive text :-).

Thanks to all of you.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4somewhat wasted (on this particular target group)
Ingrid Blank
4 +2to be irrelevant
Narasimhan Raghavan
4 +2of little consequence/importance
IanW (X)
4 +1cut no ice (with this particular customer)
CMJ_Trans (X)
4...somewhat misses its target group...
Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
4... is/was not rewarded to the extent it deserves.
quaker
4perhaps
gangels (X)
3comes up empty(-handed)
Olav Rixen
3vanish into thin air
Susanne Rindlisbacher


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
to be irrelevant


Explanation:
The skill of ABC
*** is thus somewhat irrelevant,*** (as far as the target group is concerned).


Narasimhan Raghavan
Local time: 22:34
Native speaker of: Tamil

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Melanie Nassar
19 mins
  -> Thanks armaat
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
20 mins
  -> Thanks Aniello
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
comes up empty(-handed)


Explanation:
or maybe counts for little/nothing

Olav Rixen
Canada
Local time: 10:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
of little consequence/importance


Explanation:
I would say "of little consequence/importance"

IanW (X)
Local time: 19:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 243

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lydia Molea
2 mins
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X): why "little", Ian? I would say "of *no* consequence/importance (die Kompetenz ist bedeutungslos, irrelevant)!
10 mins
  -> English euphemism - I do a lot of market research work, and you would tend to say "the product leaves a lot to be desired" rather than "the product will go down like a lead balloon" ... a question of covering their backs
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
...somewhat misses its target group...


Explanation:
another option...

Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
Germany
Local time: 19:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 16
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
cut no ice (with this particular customer)


Explanation:
option
or "cut little or no ice with..." to allow for the "gewissermassen"

fall on deaf ears

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 19:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Heidi Stone-Schaller
7 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
somewhat wasted (on this particular target group)


Explanation:
another option

Ingrid Blank
PRO pts in category: 36
Grading comment
This is what I ended up with. I liked "cuts no ice" a lot too (and used it elsewhere in my rather repetitive text :-).

Thanks to all of you.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Neil Gouw: I like this one better, since the competence is not really "irrelevant". Wasted captures the idea that the competence might be ok, but that it just doesn't catch on with the target group.
1 hr
agree  Sonja Schuberth-Kreutzer
1 hr
agree  jerrie: wasted / misdirected, were my thoughts
5 hrs
agree  Heidi Stone-Schaller
7 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
vanish into thin air


Explanation:
Thus ABC's competence vanishes, as it were, into thin air.

go up in smoke - not go anywhere - come to nothing

Susanne Rindlisbacher
Portugal
Local time: 18:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
... is/was not rewarded to the extent it deserves.


Explanation:
The idea of "ins Leere laufen" is that something doesn't get the reaction/result that was intended.

quaker
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
perhaps


Explanation:
In a manner of speaking, ABC expertise thereby breaks down open doors

gangels (X)
Local time: 11:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 40
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