March 1, 2016 / by Margarita Núñez Estimated read time: 6 minutes
The continuous surge of 21st-century technological innovations has enabled companies to expand the recognition of their brand and logo across the globe like never before.
For your brand to be recognized, understood, and commercially successful globally, it is imperative that the content you create and the message you send is not only precisely what you mean to say but also appropriate to the culture and norms of the particular country to which you are marketing.
Many successful companies have achieved global success. For instance, when we see a logo, and it is an apple, we all know it is not the eating variety but the techno variety apple. Before launching your product or services abroad or creating an e-Commerce or m-Commerce website, you must consider a proper marketing localization strategy to get your brand recognized and maintain your message correctly everywhere.
A McDonald's is the same everywhere in the world!
And that is a mystery to me! But the guys at McDonald's know that a brand needs to be recognized globally; in fairness, they have done a pretty good job!
Since most languages have particular nuances, not all logos, names, slogans, mottos, or clever one-liners will translate easily and produce the same desired effect, emotion, response, or outcome intended with the original. You, as the brand owner, must create a global content strategy.
You could start with a refined description of your brand, products, and services for your translators to understand, capture, and be able to reproduce in other languages so that your brand is recognized immediately and your message is not diluted.
Also, aim to maintain open communication with your translation provider to provide brand information and immediately respond to the many translation questions or queries that usually come up during the translation process. Clear brand recognition is essential to global success!
Crystal clear, but not verbatim
Once you’ve defined your brand clearly to your marketing translators, you’ll want to give them the freedom, creativity, and flexibility to develop effective transcreations of your message, your content, and your marketing collateral.
You don’t want the translation process to be rigid and force them to translate your content word-for-word. A fluid translation that conveys the main message will work better than a word-for-word translation.
By giving translators the freedom to capture and translate your brand message, they will be better able to adapt your text for your targeted audience in each locale.
What, Where, How?
Translators need to understand the what, where, and how of your content to make the best terminology decisions and give you the best translations. Is it a blog, a white paper, or a brochure? Where will the translated content be published - is it a page on a website or a poster on a wall? How will it appear - is it a small bubble quote on a flyer?
Translators can consider these things, plus other factors such as how much space is provided for the content and whether the tone is conversational, academic, or professional.
To help with these questions, consider sending previously translated materials, instruction sheets, style guides, tone of voice guidelines, etc., to provide content and to help the translators "visualize" the final piece in its context.
Final tips
By collaborating with your chosen translation service provider, clearly stating your brand and message at the beginning of the project, allowing for freedom and creativity for translators, and providing a glossary and context for the translations, you will enhance the whole client-translator relationship and get in return an excellent locally acceptable translation and achieve global brand recognition.
Ensure those proverbial apples you want to promote, market, and sell to apple-loving international customers will reach that market and turn apple shoppers into apple buyers.
Want to know how? Download SimulTrans' eBook now.
