| Marketing experts spend their days making sure that | | | | culture inside and out, right down to the current slang. |
| their company's brand and messaging are appropriate, | | | | From there, they use their skills and unique |
| accurate, and accessible to the public. That 'public' | | | | knowledge to localize products such as software |
| may be local, regional, and, nowadays, international. | | | | programs, video games, websites and e-learning tools |
| Our broadening global economy is presenting new | | | | to specific countries, regions, and ethnic groups. |
| locations and demographics to sell products and | | | | Localization is not only required for regions or |
| services to. It is also making it more difficult to | | | | countries where people speak different languages, |
| successfully market to these new targets. This is | | | | but also needed when there is one common language |
| where the importance of "localization" comes into | | | | spoken. For instance, even though English is common |
| play. More than just a series of translations, | | | | to the U.S. and Great Britain, localization is needed |
| localization is a process that involves programmers, | | | | when marketing to, or between, both cultures. An |
| linguists, and marketing experts working together to | | | | American potato chip company will need localization |
| ensure that a product or service is translated | | | | services for advertising in England, because, across |
| accurately and effectively for an entire target region | | | | the pond, chips are actually fries, and crisps are chips. |
| and/or culture. | | | | While the example above reflects a relatively simple |
| It is crucial that localization services are done right the | | | | textual scenario, most localization is much more |
| first time. Since every culture has its own way of | | | | complex and goes beyond changing the occasional |
| expressing ideas and emotions, the images, colors, | | | | word or two. In addition to straightforward |
| and slogans in your original presentation may not | | | | translation (grammar and spelling differences), |
| have the same meaning with the new target | | | | localization often includes visual/graphic adaptation, |
| audience. Red, white, and blue do not necessarily | | | | local currency considerations, differences in recording |
| represent patriotism abroad as they do in America, | | | | dates, addresses and phone numbers, and even |
| for example, so the sentiment is simply lost. In other | | | | retooling the physical appearance of a product. In |
| cases, a failure in accurate localization can have more | | | | short, successful localization aims to find appropriate |
| dire effects, like insulting people. So, localization | | | | emotional and cultural marketing messages that will |
| involves much more than just translation, and it's best | | | | attract or maintain customers in foreign regions. |
| to seek out certified translation experts to ensure | | | | Before going to market with a product or service in |
| that your message is effective no matter whom | | | | a new, foreign environment, make sure you've |
| you're marketing to. | | | | enlisted the services of a top-notch, certified |
| Certified language service providers have the | | | | language service provider. Otherwise, not only will |
| resources to conduct comprehensive studies of | | | | your product or service fail to sell, you may just |
| target cultures in order to correctly adapt a | | | | succeed in embarrassing yourself, or insulting an |
| business's product or service. Their specialized linguists | | | | entire culture. And that's not good business no |
| and programmers understand a specific region's | | | | matter where you're from. |