The use of a translation company is a massive asset for any business aiming to reach international audiences, whether online or in a more traditional fashion. Clear and effective communication is essential for the growth and health of a business. Without proper marketing communication, potential customers will not know what you are offering or why they should opt for your product or enlist your services.
Before entering a new market, it is critical to have a thorough understanding of your audience, including their values and needs. From there, you can invest in a reputable translation company to effectively communicate the company’s message in line with the brand while also ensuring understandability and relatability to your target market. Failure to communicate successfully with a new audience can quickly result in the rejection of a product or service, or worse, the brand itself.
In this article, we will get into more detail about the challenges that companies often face in their international marketing strategies. We will then discuss the role of a translation company in successful marketing, provide a general sense of what the translation process looks like, and discuss the benefits of qualified translation services to encourage sustainable customer relations and enhance global impact.
The Challenges Of Translations In Marketing
There are many businesses that assume that as they enter a market they deem to be similar to the country they usually operate in, communication will therefore be equivalent. For example, the belief that business practices in Australia are the same as those in New Zealand or that you can use an identical communication style across the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is simply not true. Each market is unique not just in its geography and structure but also culturally and linguistically, and it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of that particular market, including their purchasing behaviour, communication style, social cues, etc. when launching marketing campaigns.
Brand Reputation & Incorrect Translation
Expanding a business and entering new markets is no easy feat; there are many new areas to focus on and often large expenses to cover. As a result of this, it is common for companies to see the translation and localisation of marketing and branding as something that can be overlooked. Usually, this ends up being a sizable oversight.
However, as you will find out below, there are several ways incorrect translation can impact the way in which a company communicates with its audience. When messages are inaccurately translated, they can offend cultural sensitivities or fail to resonate with the target market. Improper communication can lead an audience to feel undervalued or misunderstood, and as a result, the brand’s reputation may be tarnished.
If effective communication is one of the most important factors in any business, then having a skilled translation company by your side to assist you with the localisation of your product or service is imperative for maintaining clear, effective communication and protecting a brand’s reputation and financial health – this is where International Language Consultancy (ILC) comes in.
Direct Translation vs Transcreation
Translation focuses on conveying the exact words and meaning of a text into another language, whereas transcreation goes beyond, by ensuring the intention and context of the overall message is carried across so that it is effectively communicated to the audience in question. In the case of transcreation, a text is creatively adapted for a particular group of consumers and their respective culture, language, and individuality.
Common Issues With Direct Translation
Misinterpretations: When one directly translates text from one language into another, the intended meaning is usually skewed, resulting in an incorrect or confusing message.
Cultural Inaccuracies: When trying to convey a message with humour, it is important to understand the cultural context. Something deemed funny in one region may come across as offensive, confusing, or simply ineffective if the humour does not translate well culturally.
Lack Of Nuance: Every language and culture has its own unique grammatical structure, tone, idioms, connotations, and expressions. A lack of understanding when it comes to the finer details of a language usually results in minimal depth and emotional resonance when communicating with the intended audience.
False Cognates: False cognates are words that look similar in two languages but have different meanings; for example, the English word ‘actual’ and the Spanish word actual (meaning current) can be easily confused when directly translating text and are therefore likely to create confusion among your target audience.
Unnatural Flow: The way in which a sentence is structured varies across different languages. When one directly translates text, there is a risk of a sentence sounding stiff or perplexing to native speakers.
AI Vs An Effective Translation Company
While there is no denying that AI has completely transformed the way we work and our ability to translate text, AI is still limited when it comes to understanding complex text and the subtle nuances, connotations, and humour that are used in various languages and cultures. AI often translates texts literally and lacks sensitivity, whereas a human translator from an experienced background, like those at ILC, can pick up on subtleties that AI cannot and can use their language skills and deeper understanding of a specific region, culture, and language to creatively tailor the translation. This helps to ensure that it is accurate, appropriate, and resonates with the desired audience.
Understanding The Basics Of Marketing Translation
Marketing translation is the process of adapting marketing materials from one language to another, ensuring that the message shared retains its effectiveness, impact, and cultural relevance. Effective marketing translation requires more than simply converting words; it requires a deep understanding of the nuances, customer behaviour, and marketing strategies to converse with diverse audiences.
Examples Of The Types Of Marketing Material That May Require Translation And Localisation:
- Website Content
- Advertising Campaigns
- Product Packaging And Labels
- Social Media Content
- Press Release And PR Materials
- Email Marketing
- Customer Support Documentation
Taking Marketing Campaigns Further With Localisation
We are bombarded with an enormous amount of marketing content daily from both local and international brands. In order to catch the attention of your audience and form a lasting connection with them, marketing communication that goes beyond translation and deeply resonates with potential and current customers is necessary. This is where localisation comes in.
At ILC, we offer localisation services, which include taking a translated piece of text and creatively altering it using knowledge of that particular audience and their unique cultural jargon to create an effective message, thereby ensuring cultural relevance, and enhancing brand perception. Additionally, this encourages new opportunities within this untapped market and helps to position the brand as one that can be trusted and relied upon.
The Process Of Translating Marketing And Advertising Material
At ILC, we use our skills, experience, and immense industry-specific knowledge to help both local and international clients translate marketing and advertising materials with superior quality in mind.
Initial Consultation: Our team begins the translation process with an initial consultation so that we can get a better idea of your marketing objectives, target audience, and translation requirements. We will use this time to discuss the target languages and the specific tone, style, and cultural considerations.
Content Assessment: We will then take a detailed look at all the marketing materials you need translated in order to assess the type and volume of content and any specialised terminology or industry-specific language that requires special attention.
Linguistics Analysis: Once the assessment has been conducted, our team will be able to determine the best translation approach and ensure the best individuals for the job have the relevant skills and experience to begin with the translation process. Your chosen linguistics analyst will examine and gain insight into the grammar and tone, as well as any linguistic challenges or cultural nuances of that particular region that require consideration before the localisation process.
Localisation Strategy: Based on the linguistics analysis, ILC is now able to create a tailored localisation strategy to adapt the marketing content to the specific audiences within the chosen market to ensure maximum impact and resonance with local customers.
Translation & Editing: Our qualified translators, proficient in both the source and target languages, will take the marketing material and carefully translate the text, keeping the localisation strategy in mind.
Quality Checks: At ILC, quality assurance is of utmost importance to us to ensure we maintain the highest standards. Using the skills of our proofreaders and editors, we carefully examine and review the translated copy to ensure that it is error-free.
Client Review & Feedback: Our team will then present the translated marketing material to the client for review. Feedback or requested changes are accepted by the team, and final alterations are made to ensure that the product and turnaround times are in alignment with client expectations.
Final Delivery: Once the client has approved the translated content, our team provides the marketing material in the desired format within the agreed-upon timeframe.
Other Uses Of A Translation Company For International Business
Expanding a business into new markets involves plenty of communication, documentation, and research. The involvement of a translation company like us helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures a smooth process for all parties.
Stakeholder Communication:
Expanding a business into new territories means you will likely be dealing with many stakeholders, prospective business partners, and colleagues. A translation company can offer interpreting services to ensure quick and professional translation that allows smooth communication between stakeholders. ILC also offers the translation of written communication, such as reports and proposals, to ease the process of forging working relationships with business partners, clients, and suppliers.
Legal Documentation And Compliance:
When entering new markets, you will likely be required to fill out and provide a number of documents related to licensing, tax filing, business registration, and compliance with local laws. Failure to provide adequate information as a result of incorrect translation may result in refusal or the need to repeat certain parts of the time-consuming process, ultimately, costing you time and money. At ILC, we can offer the services of a sworn translator to ensure accurate and legitimate translation, helping you mitigate legal risks and comply with local laws and regulations.
Why Use ILC For Your Translation Needs?
We are proud to say that over the years, International Language Consultancy has garnered a fantastic reputation for the impeccable skills, experience, and service of our team members, as well as our ability to efficiently manage projects of any size. A few of our services include:
- Translation
- Transcription
- Writing
- Localisation
- Editing and proofreading
- Graphic design
- Typesetting, layout, and formatting
We work with both local and international clients, offering our translation services in a myriad of widely spoken international languages, South African languages, and a range of other African languages. If you are ready to take on the global market, then get in touch with us, and we can help you take the next step in your business endeavours!