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Published On: Fri, Feb 7th, 2020

Marketing translation: why is it essential in 2020?

The first interaction with a brand can be a deciding factor for potential buyers. If your website or marketing materials aren’t convincing enough, you risk losing business opportunities. That’s why you need marketing translation to deliver your messages in multiple languages the right way. 

Marketing translation enables you to translate and localize your marketing strategy to meet the expectations of local audiences. It means adapting your messages and marketing materials to overcome not just the language barrier, but also the cultural differences. 

photo/ Gerd Altmann

Why marketing translation is different from standard translation 

They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. Seven seconds, to be more precise! In global marketing, it means that every touchpoint in your buyer’s journey should provide excellent customer experience, regardless of the language your public speaks. 

In simple words, when you translate content and marketing materials, you should do more than a word-to-word transcription from the original to the target language. Your translated content should be funny, relatable, persuasive, and inspiring at the same time. It needs to capture attention and generate engagement, just like it does in its original language.  It’s something you can’t get with generic translation. 

Marketing translation is more similar to transcreation because it requires creativity and a way with words that enables your content to create intrigue and sound “human.” 

Coca-Cola is an excellent example of marketing translation done right. The brand translates and transcreates almost all content and marketing campaigns to suit the sensibilities of its target audience. This way, it helps local audiences to make sense of and establish a connection with the company’s core message. 

Coca-Cola promises optimism, happiness, fun, and passion in every country and region, from North America to Asia to Australia. However, you’ll rarely see the exact equivalents of these terms in their ads. Instead, you’ll see words that trigger the same emotions worldwide. 

Translating marketing content requires research and in-depth knowledge of the target audience. For marketing purposes, you need to anticipate your audience’s needs and how they’ll react to the translated content. 

Maintaining a unique brand voice in multiple languages 

Marketing translation helps companies find a balance between multiculturalism and the brand’s core values. Why shouldn’t these two elements outweigh each other?  

If you push your brand out there without adapting your tone of voice to local audiences, people might not understand what you’re trying to say. Or, they could feel offended by your approach. That’s because we speak differently from one region to another. Also, we use different phrases to express what in appearance are simple concepts. For example, the ways to express happiness vary across the globe. In the Chinese language, there are many ways to say “happy,” depending on the context. A lot of it gets lost in translation, as other languages aren’t equally specific when it comes to this feeling. 

At the same time, going too far from your core values to please multiple audiences can easily make you lose brand identity. You no longer share a message that represents your brand. Instead, you’re saying what people want to hear. With 86% of buyers stating that authenticity is important when choosing what brands to support, you can’t pretend to be something else. 

The key is to find the right message for the right people in every language. This way, you show that you’re aware of cultural differences and respect every culture. At the same time, you can craft more pointed messages that reflect the brand’s authenticity and core values. 

Consolidating your market share 

As someone doing business outside national borders, you already know that the global market can become a pretty crowded place. Most of the time, only brands that go the extra mile stand out and make it through the massive amounts of ads, newsletters, social media posts, and other marketing messages. 

In 2020 and beyond, companies need marketing translation to send messages that add value and change the public’s perspective. To ensure growth, your brand should communicate in the language that your clients are most comfortable using. 

If you don’t have a localized marketing strategy, someone else will. 

On the other hand, a high-quality translation builds bridges between you and your audience. Whether you want to translate educational content or copy that sells, you should work with a certified translation company that understands your goals and has the right people for the job.  

Marketing translation is a fast-moving niche 

In the digital era, buying online and ordering products from a company in another country are routine shopping habits. The downside? Competition is fierce!

Marketing materials available in multiple languages help you increase brand awareness, generate conversions, and, eventually, close deals. It also shows that you respect the cultural heritage of your customers. 

The internet creates infinite possibilities for brands that aim to access a bigger pool of potential customers. Are you ready to take advantage of these opportunities? 

Author: Tulika Kiran

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