The Fear in Localization
Photo by Lucia Foster on Unsplash
Let’s get spooky with the 17th installment of Globalization Motivation, where we tear apart globalization, localization, and collaboration to bring localization out of the shadows with oversimplification and haunting realities. If you are easily frightened, I recommend shutting your windows, locking your doors, and hiding under the covers. Happy Halloween everyone!
Scare Tactics
Localization is a term that most outsiders don’t understand and something that every business with a global presence depends on. Brands beware! If you enter global markets unprepared, you are DOOMED to fail! Be afraid, be very afraid. If you treat localization as an afterthought, you will have to apologize to your users and your precious little ROI (return on investment) will be slaughtered. Be sure to read your clients a story or two about the brands that globalized and never recovered. They were never seen in those international territories again. Some say they insulted their customers by asserting that they had features that were not available in the country. Others say they are forbidden to sell their product for violating government restrictions. Tell them they could be the next victim because they forgot to include localization professionals in key strategic decisions.
Creeping Consumer Demand
No one is safe unless there is a smart globalization strategy in place and a strong infrastructure to manage language content. Can your web campaign sustain additional languages and images with embedded text? I hope your process is agile enough to sustain a CMS update and transcreation. Will you survive those voracious users demanding more and more personalization to their user experience? Global customers are never simply satisfied with references that don’t relate to them. They hunger to be marketed to. If their needs are not met, they could submit bad reviews online and tag you on social media with disparaging comments.
Tales from the Creative Crypt
Marketing content can be most gruesome. I once received flat images with embedded text. That text was NEVER translated. Once there was a marketing campaign that was so offensive in a country that all of the retail store assets had to be re-printed. This caused such a stir that a press release was issued with an apology. The marketing imagery was never shared with the language service provider. Don’t be the next victim trapped at the bottom of the funnel.
Grotesque Terminology
Without a clear understanding of common terminology across all functions of your organization, all that is left behind are broken tools and last-minute requests. Glossaries that aren’t updated lead to assumptions and misunderstandings. Linguists are left to languish in multiple edits. Save your team and yourself from the horrors brought by scrambling for resources and unusable products.
Trick or Treat
As those pesky potential customers drive demand for your product, you are at a crossroads. What dialect to choose? Is alternate imagery available? Are we being tricked into hyper-localization and burning out our support? It is our duty as localization professionals to distribute all of the sweet treats containing the knowledge of the benefits of global strategic thinking and collaboration. Localization doesn’t have to be a terrifying nightmare. Make it fun, exciting, and dare I say...profitable.
I See Versions
Globalization of marketing content has me seeing “versions.” Not territories, not languages, not markets, and certainly not transcreation or strings. The c-suite wants a one-size-fits-all, which is not plausible when reaching consumers around the globe. As a producer, you see budget, words, screens, hours, and timelines. The least common denominators lead to versions. As localizers, we look to the language, engineering, and possibly design support. Localization and globalization strategy involves where to be available and how complex the content should be.
The Fear is Real
Many fear localization because they don’t understand it or think it is an unnecessary expense. Localization resources translate to increased workload, new hires, and advancements in technology, (Oh my!) It’s helpful to note that there is actually safety in localization. Protect your brand, users, teammates, and partners by eliminating the horror of a poor globalization strategy. Protect users from harmful content. Every new market is a thrilling adventure. Localization and globalization professionals should never be feared but celebrated for their wisdom and contributions. Collaborate with your friendly language service provider to plan for the unexpected pitfalls that lurk in the international shadows. Happy Halloween!