As industry professionals know, marketing is not an exact science. The impact of a message depends on a complex mix of words, images and associations.
Targeting foreign audiences becomes even more complicated. A recent survey found that “ 75% of consumers prefer to buy products in their native language .”
But is translation really essential? To find out, let's explore how marketing translation services <span class="word" data-word="work." style="--word-index: 2; translate: none; rotate: none; scale: none; transform: translate(0px, 0px); opacity: 1;">work.</span>
Marketing Translation Services of the Past
Many years ago, brands typically opted for a one-size-fits-all approach to global marketing. The first option was to broadcast their campaigns worldwide in English. The second option was to translate their campaigns into different languages, while maintaining the exact standard message in each country.
Both methods have led to some very unfortunate incidents for big brands.
BMW case study
You may not remember the 2016 BMW ad featuring Al Ain Football Club, but many UAE residents will. Not for positive reasons, though.
BMW's advert opened with members of Al Ain Football Club singing part of the UAE national anthem. A few seconds later, the sound of a car engine was heard and the anthem was interrupted as the players stopped singing and ran towards a fleet of cars.
There were protests as many Emirati citizens felt the company was implying that its cars were proud of their national anthem. The offensive ad was withdrawn and modified.
Mastering the Art of Marketing Translation: Strategies to Ensure Perfect Multilingual Messaging
Choosing Professional Translators: To avoid mistakes in marketing translation, it is crucial to work with professional translators who have experience not only in the target language, but also in marketing and cultural nuances. This ensures that the intended message is accurately conveyed, adapted to the cultural context, and the tone and identity of the brand are preserved.
Providing clear briefs and resources: Clear and concise briefs, along with the provision of style guides, glossaries, and reference materials, help ensure consistency and accuracy throughout the translation process. These resources provide translators with the information and guidelines they need to maintain brand consistency across translated marketing content.
Regular communication and collaboration: Effective communication and collaboration between the marketing team and translators is vital. This allows any questions to be answered, requirements to be clarified, and alignment to be maintained throughout the translation process. Regular feedback and open dialogue facilitate a better understanding of the brand’s goals and ensure that the translated content is aligned with the marketing strategy.
Thorough review and quality checks: Before publishing or releasing translated marketing content, it is essential to conduct thorough review and quality checks. These checks help identify and correct any errors, inconsistencies, or cultural misinterpretations, ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of the translated materials.
By following these best practices and working with experienced professionals, companies can minimize errors and achieve successful marketing translations. This approach allows translated content to resonate with target audiences, elevate brand awareness, and drive international growth.
Marketing Content Localization Today
How did BMW make such a huge mistake? They didn't localize their content.
To build positive relationships with their audiences, international brands need to adapt their strategies based on where their target markets live. Customers want content that they can relate to, both culturally and linguistically.
That's what localization service is: adapting content so that it is culturally appropriate for a specific country or area.
Many marketing translation services today focus on localization and translation in equal measure. After all, what good is a marketing campaign that works in one country but sends confusing messages or even offends international customers?
The Benefits of Localization Marketing
Creating a Lasting Impression
When trying to create a certain image for a brand, the audience needs to see a strong message.
In the 1970s, Pampers decided to enter the Japanese market . In many uruguay phone number data Western countries, children are told traditional stories about a stork delivering babies to their parents' homes. An advertisement was created around this concept and distributed throughout Japan.
It turns out that stories told in Japan actually feature babies floating down a river on giant peaches. To the Japanese, birds have nothing to do with babies.
Pampers' meticulously planned entry into the Japanese market failed. Customers were confused and sales failed to take off.
A little research by localization experts would have avoided the mistake and consolidated sales since the product's launch.
Remove the barriers
When cultural and language barriers are removed, millions of international customers can be reached.
We can see how this can happen in an example customer journey:
A potential customer sees a marketing campaign. If it is well placed, it creates a lasting impression.
The customer then searches the internet to learn more about the brand. More than half of the world’s internet searches are in a language other than English , and if the company has translated well, the customer can easily access the landing page in their own language.
The customer visits the brand’s website and is exposed to more details about its identity and marketing campaigns. If the location is consistent, the customer will see messages related to them and will be more likely to purchase products.
Your brand Future Trans?
At Future Trans , we are experts in marketing translation and localization services. We are passionate about helping companies strengthen their brands, achieve international success and maximize sales.
Future Trans is an ISO 17100 certified service and our work focuses on providing translation and localization for Middle Eastern and African languages.
With over 25 years of experience, we have worked with major international brands such as Uber , Amazon , and many more. Our translators are experts who use their knowledge and the latest technology (e.g. quality assurance tools) to ensure the work is of the highest quality.
Send us a message to find out how we can help.