Clairol, the hair products company, introduced the Mist Stick curling iron a few years back. While the product sold well around the world, sales came to a grinding halt in Germany – ‘Mist’ of course being German for ‘manure’.
Cue toothpaste was introduced to the French market by Colgate, sharing its name with that of a reportedly notorious pornographic magazine.
In a country with 11 official languages, investing in professional language services can be the difference between success and… notoriety
Although there aren’t any official bodies monitoring professionals in the South African language services business, there are two entities that act as go-to destinations for those seeking translation and editing peace of mind. The South African Translators’ Institute (SATI) and the Professional Editors’ Group (PEG) retain a database of qualified and vetted professionals in the writing, translation, proofreading, and editing industries. Using a language professional accredited by any of these two bodies will more than likely help you avoid, well, embarrassment.
And if you’re still wondering why you should spend that little extra on a trained, qualified, and accredited language professional instead of Google translator, just have a look below…
IL Consultancy\’s editors, proofreaders, translators, and interpreters are all members of the Professional Editors’ Group (PEG) and the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI). Learn more about our professional writing, editing, proofreading, translation, and interpreter services on the IL Consultancy website