How to Adapt Messaging for the French Market

Written by Alexandre Rallo | October 8, 2024

Not all French people are the same, but they all fundamentally speak the same language… with a few nuances. From the everyday slang of suburban life to the old-fashioned idioms that survive in rural France, and the upper-class Parisian parlance, the French will always linguistically come together around a combination of directness and colourful imagery.

SimulTrans works with language experts who can adapt with precision to your target audience. Whether your end customers are other businesses or the trendy youth, we can speak their language in all its nuances.

Let’s take an example:

An imaginary tech company called TechNewCall is launching a marketing campaign for a new all-in-one tech product and needs to address various audiences in the French market.

The product can be used by young people to communicate with their friends, consume content, and so on, and must therefore, be sold to them on their own terms. We would thus adopt slang-like (but never rude) expressions to convey the excitement of owning this new product:

Tellement refait d’avoir le dernier banger de TechNewCall !

This would roughly translate as “Beyond ecstatic to own the latest TechNewCall. So awesome!”

Now, the product can also be used by businesses as part of their operations and offers state-of-the-art features designed to give them a competitive edge. The marketing addressed to them would read more like:

Avec la technologie disruptive de TechNewCall, j’optimise mon avantage concurrentiel !
Which means “TechNewCall’s disruptive technology maximises my competitive edge”.

Finally, the company also wants to market to the older generation, which makes up a growing part of the world population. We can, therefore, with humor, revive older expressions to position the product within this specific audience’s cultural framework.

Sans vouloir faire de la réclame, avec TechNewCall, je suis sûr de filer un bon coton vers l’avenir !

An English equivalent would be “I’m no marketer, but let me tell you, TechNewCall sets me on the right path to the future!”.

None of these slogans mean exactly the same thing, and they all use a unique vocabulary, but they serve the same purpose.

The French language – like all others – is full of possibilities, but it’s important to understand it on a deeper level to make sure localization is always relevant culturally and demographically speaking.

Some will tell you that France is a collection of clichés about Parisian elegance, the vineyards of Bordeaux, and a cultural tapestry of refinement, but the truth is much more complex and nuanced than that.

If you are wondering what is the best way to translate the content on your website for a new market, SimulTrans can help. We understand that every locale (market) requires the expertise of in-country linguists who can steer translation efforts toward optimal efficiency.

Whether you’re looking to translate marketing materials into French, localizing software, or an e-learning translation service provider, our team of French language experts is here to help.

SimulTrans can be your translation company. Let us be your guide so that no market will be left unconquered.

Book a one-hour free consultation with a French expert.

Did you enjoy reading this article? Then, you might like to read 4 pitfalls to avoid when translating into French.

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