The Future of the Translation Industry: Global & Swedish Trends
The future of the translation industry has never been more interesting. Here we’ll go over emerging trends and technologies to keep in mind.
Category: Business
Swedish Translation vs. Transcreation: Which Is Right for You?
Translation or transcreation? If you need Swedish language services, you might be wondering which type is right for your text. Here are some tips.
The Real Costs of Using Employees as Translators
In a world where physical location has lost its meaning, chances are you can find a Swedish speaker in a large company. When documents like contracts or press releases need to be translated, many businesses might be tempted to rely on their multilingual employees as translators. On the surface, this makes sense. Not only do they know your product inside and out, but they also won’t need to get paid any extra for the work.
So, if it saves you time and money, what’s the harm in leaning on Anna in Marketing for that English to Swedish translation? Here are some good reasons not to use your employees as translators.
5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Swedish Employees Do Your Company’s Translations
In most cases, letting existing staff handle your translations does more harm than good. It can not only damage your company’s reputation but also lengthen the globalization timeline and erode employee relationships. There are several reasons not to do this, including:
1. Being Bilingual Doesn’t Make You a Translator
Contrary to what people think, there’s more to translation than swapping one word for another. There are idioms, metaphors, nuance, and gendered language to consider. Being able to speak another language isn’t the be-all, end-all it’s a prerequisite. Becoming a certified translator takes years of practice and ample education.
2. The Productivity Costs
While you might be impressed with Anna’s Swedish, that’s not why you hired her. Likely, you were impressed by her love of marketing knowledge and strategic skills. The stellar references and 10 years of marketing experience just sealed the deal. Let her do what she is good at, marketing, not translation and linguistics. Furthermore, the time she spends translating must come from somewhere. This means less time spent creating marketing campaigns.
3. It Doesn’t Save You Money
Even if the document isn’t something that can open you up to legal repercussions, attempts to cut translation costs often end up doing the opposite. Frederick Douglass once said, “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Though translated documents aren’t children, the same principle holds. Getting things right the first time is easier than constantly fixing shoddy work. Hiring a professional Swedish translator is often the more affordable option.
4. A Lack of Tools
To do translation well, you need preferred glossaries, external proofreaders, and a computer assisted translation software. Most businesses won’t invest in these for one-off projects. Professional Swedish translators already have these things in their toolbelts and incorporate their use into their rates. Hiring them allows you to reap the benefits of these tools without the budget battles.
5. Cultural Sensitivity Issues
Just speaking Swedish doesn’t mean Julie has a true understanding of Sweden’s culture. Even if she grew up there, things change. What was once acceptable, and trendy may now be wrong. Since translators make a living connecting with audiences in their target language, they often obsess with staying up to date on current options.
Ready to Let Anna Get Back to Marketing?
Now that you know better than to hand off your Swedish translations to the first bilingual person you come across, it’s time to find a qualified translator! Instead of using employees as translators, you need to find someone who’s experienced and strives to stay up to date on the latest language developments. It also wouldn’t hurt to hire someone knowledgeable in marketing and transcreation.
If you need Swedish marketing translations, transcreations, or localizations, I’d love to help out. Looking to expand outside of the Baltic countries? My wide network of linguists and translators means I can help you find a colleague in that field. To get started, fill out my contact form or visit my About page for more information about my qualifications.
Check also:
- How Much Does a Swedish Translation Cost? Pricing Swedish Translations
- What Cheap English to Swedish Translation Really Costs You!
- Swedish Translation vs. Transcreation: Which Is Right for You?
- When to Choose Machine Translation vs. a Professional Translation
- Effective Budgeting for Your Technical Translation Project
Everything You Need to Know About Swedish Content Marketing and Localization
Let’s look at what localization is and how you can put it to work in your English to Swedish content marketing.
In a global society where consumers can conduct business with companies halfway around the world in seconds, it’s common to forget that individual markets still matter.
Studies show that geo-targeted posts on social media earn six times the engagement as those that offer “global appeal”. What’s more, website visitors are likely to stay on a website longer if the content is in their native language.
Localization is becoming one of the largest missed opportunities to grow your global markets, and it’s a factor that businesses won’t be able to afford to overlook much longer.
What Is Localization?
Briefly, localization refers to adapting content for a specific market or country. More than just translating a website into a person’s native language, localization also combines things like traditions, values, culture, and imagery to create a truly native look and feel.
Pursuing any type of cross-border content strategy, whether you’re venturing into one country or 10 countries, requires a local-first mentality to ensure you’re connecting with your audience the way they’re receptive to.
Best Practices for Content Marketing: English to Swedish
If you’re pursuing a content marketing strategy across borders, put these best practices to use to maximize your ROI:
1. Hire a Professional English to Swedish Translator
Turning English content into Swedish is rarely a word for word translation. Hiring a professional translator who is skilled in both languages and can apply cultural aspects to the content will make your content effective and impactful.
2. Diversify Your Messaging
The content you create for your English audience won’t necessarily have the same effect on your Swedish customers. For example, if you’re telling Americans how it’s raining cats and dogs, telling your Swedish buyers “det regnar katter och hundar” won’t do you any favors. In fact, poor translations like this will only make your business appear ill-suited for their market.
Instead, you can diversify your messaging and tailor it to local interests. Not every audience needs to receive the same campaign.
3. Reflect the Culture and Imagery
Coca-Cola earned the attention of Chinese buyers by putting Chinese celebrities on its cans. It was a simple yet powerful move that helped to localize the company to the intended market.
Using cultural icons, history, imagery, or other notable factors can help you to blend seamlessly with the audience and make you a part of their society.
Get Professional English to Swedish Content Marketing
The secret’s out: professional English to Swedish translation gives your content marketing the best chance to appeal to your international audience.
To find out more about translation services, contact Tess to schedule a free consultation.
What Cheap English to Swedish Translation Really Costs You!
High quality and accurate Swedish translation of your site may be amongst the most vital measures to take in the overall improvement of conversion rates if you are aiming for customers in Sweden.
Some companies just cannot afford cheap translation. The long-term costs of lackluster translations often exceed the peanuts saved in the short term. It is just too risky. This is especially true in industries where lives are at stake. Let’s go through the real costs of bad English to Swedish translation!
Common Translation Failures
A handful of the largest organizations compromised their quality and learned a good deal about why they tried saving money on translations and received cheap translation services, and ended up getting what they paid for—poor quality.
Especially with documents like legal or medical texts or how-to manuals, having professional translation services which take language, as well as culture and dialect into consideration is imperative.
Creative translation can also be tricky, as direct translations aren’t as logical as they seem, especially when it comes to marketing. Some big-name translation failures include:
- The Chevrolet Nova didn’t appeal to Hispanic markets because “No va” means “It Doesn’t Go.”
- Coors failed to attract Spanish-speaking audiences with their direct translation of the “Turn It Loose” tagline, which roughly means “Suffer from Diarrhea” in Spanish.
- Pepsi’s iconic “brings you back to life” slogan didn’t go over well with Chinese audiences, who took the phrase to mean “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.”
The Incalculable Costs of Cheap Translation
There’s no telling what kind of profit losses these translations caused their companies, but one thing is certain:
Cheap translation is bad for business. Translation errors have killed people, crippled patients, and destroyed multi-million-dollar pieces of machinery.
Here are some negative consequences of getting it wrong:
Getting Slapped with a Lawsuit is Not Fun.
It is inconvenient and not something on the top of a company’s Christmas list. But, they’re usually preferable to customer death or destroying priceless equipment. Here are four tragedies that resulted from erroneous translations:
The Destruction of The Mars Orbiter.
Not all translations are linguistic. There is sometimes some math involved. A translator’s failure to properly convert English measurements to the metric system resulted in a catastrophic failure that sent the 125-million-dollar satellite careening off course. The planet’s harsh atmosphere tore the brand-new satellite to pieces. Not really a “cheap translation.”
Radiation Poisoning at a French Hospital.
In what was likely an attempt to save money, a US manufacturer of radiation machines did not offer dosage information in French. Administrative staff at the French hospital relied on bilingual coworkers to translate the English information. This lead to four deaths and dozens of cases of severe radiation poisoning.
Serial Knee Implant Failures at a German Hospital.
A US maker of knee prosthesis made two different models for their German customers. Though the company offered instructions in German, the product’s outer packaging was only available in English. After asking a coworker to translate the packaging, these prosthetics were incorrectly marked as non-cemented. This labeling error led to 47 failed surgeries and millions in compensation claims.
The Dropping of the Hiroshima Bomb.
Japanese is a complex language. Many words have multiple meanings and the correct one often depends upon surrounding content. After the US and allies demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan, they made it clear that any “any negative answer from Japan would invite “prompt and utter destruction.” When journalists pressed Japan’s Prime Minister for comment, he said that he was currently withholding comment. The government had yet to reach a final decision and he was unable to relay anything substantial. But, international news agencies mistakenly quoted him as saying that the ultimatum was ‘not worthy of comment.’
How Much Should English to Swedish Translation Cost?
No company is immune from translation failures. But investing in proper English to Swedish translation services can give you the best chance of attracting your target market and avoid becoming an example of the cost of poor translation.
Though the definition of translation is straightforward, businesses are often surprised to find that not all translation services and options are created equal. Cheap services like those offered by freelance translators can offer lower price points on English to Swedish translation, but again, quality issues are called into play. The translations may be linguistically accurate, but they may fail to incorporate other elements that can add impact to your message.
Why Choose a Professional Translator
As you can see, translation errors are so much more than something to snicker at on your lunchbreak. Cheap translations are sometimes the quickest way to sign someone’s death warrant. These cautionary tales should remind you of the dangers of subpar and machine-based translation. If your product can change someone’s life, it is vital to hire a reliable translator.
Utilizing a professional translator with expertise in your business may result in more than an improved document and a more complete understanding, it may result in bigger return on your investment. Utilizing something less may result in mistakes, errors, and misunderstandings which might cost you lost business or a client.
Check also:
- How Much Does a Swedish Translation Cost? Pricing Swedish Translations
- The Real Costs of Using Employees as Translators
- Swedish Translation vs. Transcreation: Which Is Right for You?
- When to Choose Machine Translation vs. a Professional Translation
- Effective Budgeting for Your Technical Translation Project
A U.S. Guide to Swedish Business Culture
The old idiom “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” doesn’t just apply to Italy – it’s imperative when expanding your business in Sweden, too! Anytime your business wishes to serve another country, you’ll need to learn the way they do business and adapt your practices to meet their needs.
Just as you wouldn’t extend your hand to a Japanese CEO or use your left hand in Indonesia, you must also understand what’s acceptable and what’s forbidden when discussing and conducting business in Sweden.
One of the most critical elements when growing your footprint in Sweden is to master the way they speak. Using the correct terminology and adapting to the local vernacular will be party responsible for your success or failure.
Let’s look at some core business concepts in Sweden and how you can prepare your business for international success.
Core Business Concepts in Sweden
A country’s business is often based on the foundation of the country’s values. In Sweden, those values embody all aspects of modesty, equality, and respect for human rights. They’re an inclusive society that makes distinctions based on nationality rather than race or appearances. Socialist ideals are in abundance, along with an extensive welfare system.
In business, respect and consideration go a long way when arranging meetings, discussing topics, or making negotiations.
Most notable are the following:
- It’s customary to arrange meetings two weeks in advance.
- Business cards are shared at the beginning of meetings.
- Meetings are often informal enough to use a first-name basis.
- Small talk is virtually non-existent.
- Decisions aren’t often made during first meetings.
- Decisions usually require group consensus.
- Peak holiday periods are February through March and June through August.
- Refreshment breaks, called fika, are often used for informal meetings.
Understandably, it’s just as important to understand how to conduct business in Sweden as it is to talk about business in Sweden. American customs don’t directly translate into the Swedish business culture, and believing otherwise could be just as damaging as a linguistic mistranslation.
Swedish Translation Services Are Business Must-Haves
If you’re targeting the Swedish market, Investing in Swedish translation services is non-negotiable. Proper translations ensure you’re not only using the right vernacular, but also following proper business policy and practices for the Swedish business culture.
A professional translator helps you bridge this wide (and often scary) gap between American and Swedish business ideologies. Translators shift away from word-to-word translation in favor of localized linguistics that match the appropriate business cases.
To find out more about Swedish translation services and how translators can help you navigate the specifics of international business, contact Tess for a free consultation.
Check also:
10 Unwritten Rules of Swedish Business Etiquette
INTRODUCTION
Whether you’re an expat looking to start a business abroad or a salesman traveling abroad, you won’t succeed in Sweden without a clear understanding of its corporate culture. While many Swedes speak flawless English, they come from a completely different culture than individuals raised in the UK, Canada, or the United States. In today’s blog, we’ll give you 10 tips that will help you feel more at home in the Swedish business environment.
TEN TALKING POINTS:
Cut the Small Talk:
While meetings in the USA typically start with pleasantries, that’s not the case in Sweden. As they’re not huge fans of wasting time, many Swedes prefer to kick off their business meetings with a dose of business. “In Sweden, you’re always ready to talk business. Etiquette expert Mats Danielsson summed it up pretty well in an interview with The Local: If you’re out at a business lunch in Sweden, don’t be surprised if you start talking business before your food has even arrived,”
Don’t Expect A Rigid Chain of Command:
People in the United States are used to clearly-defined organizational hierarchies. In their world, front line employees often have limited ability to close and negotiate deals. In Sweden, however, that’s often not the case. As Swedes tend towards flatter organizational structures, there’s a high probability that your low-level sales representative will be the person responsible for closing your deal. Please act accordingly.
Pay Attention to the Clock:
Most Swedes deeply value punctuality. As time is very important to them, they have little patience for those who are consistently running late. To ensure you make a good first impression, try your best to arrive to engagements five to ten minutes early. If you can’t get there on time, be sure to let whomever you’re meeting know.
Drop the Formal Greetings:
When meeting Swedes for the first time, you should avoid using honorifics like mister and miss. To the Swedish, these titles sound stiff and old-fashioned. Don’t be afraid to address them by their first name. And, by extension, don’t be shocked when they greet you with yours.
Keep It Business Casual:
In the USA, salesmen tend to come in dressed to impress. But, the Swedish aren’t as obsessed with ties and three-piece suits as people in less egalitarian cultures. For those worried about showing up to an informal meeting in their Sunday Best, Mats Danielsson adds, “It’s also okay to simply ask whoever you’re meeting what dress code to expect. They won’t find the question off-putting.”
Sexism Is Never Fashionable:
According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, Sweden is one of the best places to be a woman. As sexism in business is rarer than in many other countries, it’s quite common to find women in positions of leadership. Therefore, you should never assume gender in correspondence, and you should be aware of any gender-based differences in your conversation style. If you find any, do your best to eliminate them.
Keep the Boasting at Home:
The Swedes tend towards modesty. So much so, in fact, that they have a term for downplaying one’s individual accomplishments: jantelagen. Bragging about your past accomplishments is a quick way to get on a Swede’s bad side. Furthermore, it also makes you look short-sighted and self-absorbed. When giving speeches, always make sure to acknowledge everyone’s accomplishments, not just your own.
Put that Phone on Silent:
Cellphones are a common sight in US business meetings. It’s fairly common to see attendees fiddling on their phones while others are talking. While it’s rude to do so in both nations, it’s often a deal killer to the Swedish. If you want to close a deal, be sure to turn your phone off before taking your seat at the conference table.
Keep Meetings to Working Hours:
Swedes are world-renowned for their ability to balance their work and personal lives. Their secret? Setting clear boundaries. Make sure that your proposed appointment times don’t infringe on your coworker’s free time. The Swedes like to schedule meetings in the middle of the workday, as opposed to at the beginning or at the end.
Honor Your Verbal Promises:
While US business people don’t take numbers seriously until they see them in black and white, that’s not the case with the Swedes. They truly place value on the spoken word and expect you to do the same. This is likely one reason why the Swedish are known for their thorough discussions of deals and contracts.
CONCLUSION
While everyone is different, the 10 tips outlined above hold true for the majority of Swedes. Just know that blogs like this cannot prepare you for all the difficulties and contingencies of doing business abroad. When you run into an issue your studies haven’t prepared you for, I have a simple piece of advice: just be yourself. The Swedes tend to be very accommodating and accepting people and will understand if you make a few mistakes. If worse comes to worst, you can just apologize with a good-old-fashioned forlat. At the very least, they’ll appreciate the attempt.
If you’re looking to have something translated into Swedish, you can contact Tess Whitty. Please visit swedishtranslationservices.com or email her to learn more.
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10 Tips for Going Global
Localization to another market isn’t very easy, and if done improperly, can be dangerous to your bottom line. This is especially true for translation. SDL International found that “eight out of 10 international businesses lose revenue, delay product launches, or pay fines for non-compliance because of translation errors.” We’re guessing that’s a majority you don’t want to be a part of when you are going global.
The Challenges of Going Global
There are many obstacles standing between your business and international success. Here are three of the trickiest:
- Cultural Differences: People’s beliefs and preferences differ widely from culture to culture. For example, some societies prefer online shopping and others dislike buying anything without face-to-face contact. Payment method preferences also vary widely. While Japan feels safer making use of credit cards online, Germans often opt for bank wire transfers and direct debit. Before entering a new market, take time to research all the nuances of the people within it.
- Differences in Communication Styles: The issues of communicating with international customers go far beyond language differences. Things like displaying dates, body languages, and color preferences also play a part in making a product launch successful. Learn everything you can about a country’s communication style before launching that advertising campaign.
- The Complexity of Law and Logistics: Tariffs, duties, shipping prices, and tax laws can make stark difference to your firm’s finances. Not learning about them beforehand can also leave your company on the wrong side of an orange jumpsuit. Consult with a legal professional in your target market before finalizing any expansion plans.
Not handling these challenges effectively can land your company in a pot of hot water.
Ten Tips for Making Your Localization Efforts a Roaring Success
Knowing the nature of the localization beast better equips you to combat it. Here are seven things you can do to make going global easier:
- Capitalize on Your Diverse Staff: Your staff all come from diverse cultures and unique backgrounds. Make use of that. Get their input on your internationalization plans. See how they feel about your ideas, translations, and localization efforts. You might be able to stop a PR disaster before it starts.
- Find a Translation Partner That Knows Your Product: If you manufacture children’s toys, you need to find a translator who knows about the toy industry. This not only ensures you won’t run afoul of any obscure laws, but also gives you a partner who understands your product’s needs and target market.
- Be Picky About Your Translator: Don’t just go for whoever is cheapest. And, for heaven’s sake, do not rely on free software like Google Translate! Your words are often the first thing a customer sees. Pay for a great translator and ensure that your first impression is a good one.
- Make Sure Your Global Plan Is Solid: Going global should never be approached half-heartedly. Take the time you need to ensure your localization plan covers all your bases. Not doing so is just asking for a PR disaster.
- Use Emotion to Transcend Cultural Lines: Happiness and sadness transcend artificial borders. If you’re having a tough time getting your message across, try bringing some emotion into your marketing.
- Don’t Let Your Home Market Limit Your Creativity: Translation doesn’t have to be word for word, and your advertisements shouldn’t be cheap knock-offs of the originals. Always customize your marketing to meet the preferences of your target markets.
- Familiarize Yourself with Local Laws: Failure to account for tariffs in shipping costs, can quickly derail your expansion plans. Always consult with an export professional before getting too far in your globalization efforts.
Otherwise, your firm might end up on the wrong side of the law.
Going Global With Swedish Translation
Any business looking to grow in this day and age must venture beyond their home markets. While not impossible, international expansion is never a task to be taken lightly. Keeping the tips above in mind, however, should make it a little bit easier.
If you are a company looking to make your mark on the Swedish market by going global, you can contact Swedish Translation Services for your translation and localization needs.
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How Translation Services Help Improve Today’s Global Economy
This is a guest post by Albert Brown
Why translation services needed?
In general perception, global economy doesn’t come to our mind when we consider interpretation services. We normally think of it as somebody having a thorough knowledge of the root and destination languages, who helps others to understand some different languages and let the communication process flow between two or more people. Translation service has a huge contribution in helping people to overcome the language barrier. But did you know it also plays a significant part in boosting the global economy?
For a company preparing to step into the global market, translation service is a must to function properly. Companies may be doing business on a giant scale in and around their local area but when they want to expand out, they’re almost unknown in their target market and require a lot of hard work to get themselves introduced. Interpretation services bridge the gap between these companies and locals of the target country.
Without language services, it is impossible for a company to improve its own financial standing as well as contribute towards the global economy. To make a footprint in the global market, it is the first and foremost criteria for a company to join hands with a good translation service provider. It greatly enhances the client relationship along with helping it strengthen its position in the global marketplace.
Issue on the translation of economics
In today’s world of information society and globalization, when global economy mainly depends on the distribution and production process along with communication and information, language services play a key role. Banks and other financial institutions operate in various languages to increase their customer base. Multinational companies release documents in various languages for the sake of service expansion and to reach every corner of the global market.
With the increasing growth of “LCCS” or “low-cost country sourcing” where a company imports materials from the countries with lower production and labor costs like Brazil, China, India and Eastern Europe to decrease operational costs, the need of translating franchise agreements, contracts, financial documents, company documents and associated documentations is growing rapidly. Interpretation services occupy a centralized position in the prospective cross-border “M&A” (mergers and acquisitions) which mainly depends on effective and efficient exchange of information between all the involved parties responsible for the transaction.
For addressing this, many research avenues are created that are connected to economic and technical translation services and the challenges related to it. Unlike other subject-related translations like technical translation and legal translation, economic translation has become an uncommon topic of special issues of TS (Translation Studies) journals. As an outcome, economic translation research is spread over various publications and aims at some chosen isolated issues. Such language services mostly focus on the economic terminologies.
Why is translation so important in the global economy?
Translation applications act like important resources for both the translators and normal people and the sale and design of these apps and various web-paced platforms are a flourishing segment in the language industry. A translation project creates numerous job openings distributed among various platforms.
Many language services companies that manage high volume translation projects employ not only translators but graphic/formatting artists, proofreaders, project managers and administrative staff who look after the project requirements. Hiring of such professionals is done by scouting for talent across the globe. All of this jointly contributes to a flourishing translation industry, which is forecasted to reach $37 billion by the year 2018 throughout the world.
Advice on language service
Communication languages usually undergo a change along with a change in the global business mode. Economic development has significantly impacted the popular communication languages used for international businesses.
Accordingly, it has developed the popularity of admissions in various second language courses in universities and colleges. Though it’s difficult to talk about the exact way that would help someone learn a language as his/her second language, such learning does help to enhance the overall employability for sure. Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, Chinese, American Sign Language, Russian, German and Portuguese are some of the languages worth learning.
Before going out to learn a new language, some important factors need to be taken into consideration. These include your future plans after learning the language such as availing a job in a global business, working overseas, becoming an interpreter or opting for a job in the government sector.
How translation improves the economy
Economic growth of a country depends upon various factors. One of the most significant factors that contribute to the economic development is the total count of industries that manufacture quality products or provide quality services. It has been observed that a country with developed economy helps the services and industries to grow rapidly.
Thus, industrial development and economic development are dependent on each other. The translation industry, especially the business and technical translation services sectors, have developed rapidly over the last few years. This sector has excellent growth opportunity, especially in the countries where each day a new business avenue is opening up in the market and opportunities are overflowing as a result of globalization.
The local markets too are flooded with foreign products and a significant number of foreign countries are rendering their services in these local markets. It has been observed that in a developed economical condition, the cross-border exchange is not merely restricted to products and services. Rather, it extends to a significant amount of cultural exchange as well.
This exchange is directly connected to economic development. After all, more economical development means more cultural exchange. Interpretation services play a key role in bridging the gap between two cultures, thus helping in the exchange of literature, knowledge, services and products and much more.
Author Bio:
Albert Brown, passionate writer & translation consultant. He is fond of reading about different cultures & traditions being followed across the world. He loves visiting new places and learning different languages. Reading and writing about the importance of language and its variations is something that keeps him busy during free time. Guiding people about the right source is something he is known for. Find out more about Albert’s company – Translation Excellence here.
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What Is Localization and How It Can Help Your Business?
Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This is a guest post from Aniello Attianese from Language Reach.
The world of business is changing rapidly. A trend towards globalisation and expanding businesses abroad, especially with the recent growth of internet, is something that I, working for a professional translation agency, personally see rather clearly. A lot of the businesses from every corner of the world, even small and medium sized, see a truly great opportunity in approaching new international customers and exploring new markets. Many business owners who require our professional translation services however do not realise that translating word for word sometimes simply isn’t, and shouldn’t be, the whole answer, especially when working on marketing material, such as websites; this is where localisation comes into play.
Budgeting for Localisation on a Global Scale
Companies and businesses around the world now spend great portions of their budgets each year for marketing efforts; paying close attention to crafting the perfect message, choosing the right colours or even the right font. But what if they were only to discover, that their perfect marketing material which worked flawlessly in one country, causes offence in another? Having marketing material which is culturally inappropriate will certainly cause more damage than good.
In simple words, localisation amends and adopts content, such as websites or brochures, in order for it to be suitable within a specific market by removing any local sensitivities. Global companies such as Apple or McDonald’s have values and ideas which they like to communicate to consumers across the world, without causing any misunderstandings within any country specific market. This is the reason each of their campaigns is not only very carefully translated, but also localised to suit their specific foreign target market.
The Trouble With Ignoring Localisation
American Airlines on the other hand are a perfect example of a company who decided not to trouble with localisation, and only to translate their marketing material word-for-word. After introducing their new stylish leather seats on the planes, AA came up with a slogan which in America worked perfectly fine: “Fly in leather”. Not carefully localised for the Mexican market however, the message caused the operator to blush slightly as “Fly naked” wasn’t very appealing to the Spanish speaking customers…The lack of localisation in the above example is pretty obvious, and not only caused the airline to embarrassment but also to money loses.
Words however aren’t the only thing which can be a cause for concern if marketing material wasn’t carefully localised. Another great example would be the use of colours. Did you know, that in China the colour white is associated with death? Now, you wouldn’t want your products or services to be associated with such, would you?
Benefits of Localisation
Going back to McDonald’s example, you’ll be able to see good, if not great, use of localisation services. The fast food chain restaurant not only localised all of their marketing messages, but they also went a step further and localised their menus, which are perfectly localised for each of their markets. And so in New Zealand for example you will be able to order a Kiwi Burger while McDonald’s India offers chicken Maharaja!
Giving that both U.S and Sweden are rather specific markets, with different cultures, values and ideas, localising marketing material for the Swedish audience should really be a priority for any U.S business thinking of approaching the Swedish consumers. Taking into the account any local sensitivities such as religious, political or cultural differences can have a significant impact on the success of your brand in a foreign market, and although localisation simply cannot guarantee an instant success, the lack of it can guarantee instant failure.
Aniello Attianese comes from Pagani, Italy. He speaks Italian, French and German fluently and has just started learning Swedish. He currently works for Language Reach and Translation Services 24 as a translator and a project manager. In his spare time he enjoys travelling and good music as much as he enjoys learning languages.
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