In our own language, we take it for granted that the words we speak convey exactly what we want them to say. It makes sense: we have a thought, and we want to get it across to someone else, so we just string a few words together, and bingo.
No one’s confused or offended, the thought goes from us to the other person perfectly intact. And to translate it, we just take all the words, put them into another language and nothing is lost. Simple.
Well, if it were as simple as that, our role as a Language Service Provider (LSP) would consist of sending a link to Google Translate every time our clients had a question. But words don’t live on their own. They interact with each other differently in the almost 7,000 languages in the world.
They co-exist differently with one another in ways that go far beyond mere translation. Their meanings can change in each new culture they’re being translated into, which is far more important to get right than just the language they’re being translated into.
Translation should be seen as the transference of ideas from one culture to another rather than one language to another. Let’s look at this in more detail and why it’s so critically important to have this localization mindset when branching out into new territories and markets.
There is the argument, and it's a poor argument, of why a business should care. As long as their new audience can understand them, then what damage is done? Well, a lot of damage. Your success depends on your brand’s reputation.
Poor translation, without cultural sensitivity, sends the message that you don’t care. You can’t be bothered about understanding what impacts the lives of your new customers or clients because they’re just a number to you.
Case in point – Honda. Rewind back to 2001, and the automotive giant was excited to launch its new car, the Fitta, in Nordic countries.
Can you believe that an international car manufacturer with the resources that Honda has didn’t realize that “fitta” is another word for female genitalia? And, not that it matters, but it's not a nice one. To add insult to injury, they ran an ad with the strapline “small on the outside, but large on the inside.” Wow.
Lose your customer’s hearts and your profit will walk out the door even if you’re a major brand. An example of this is when a well-known baby food producer was moving into an African market where the literacy level was low.
Because of this low literacy, most food products had pictures of the food on their packaging so the local audience would understand what they were buying. A can of tuna had pictures of tuna fish, peas had pictures of peas, and so on.
Imagine the surprise of the locals when they saw babies on the side of a jar? Let’s just say sales were lower than expected. A little research, and a change of packaging, would’ve gone a long way.
It’s not just your bottom line that can be affected, but you can get into legal trouble. Imagine you’re a medical company and you demonstrate negligence by having poorly translated material? Or you don’t comply with the regulatory requirements of the country and face punishment from governments or industry bodies.
These are the kinds of mistakes that can have ramifications that can hurt a company for years and not just in that new market.
How you act is as important as how you speak. Put the time in to understand how to conduct business and talk to people in the country you’re entering. Otherwise, you could be insulting the very people you’re trying to engage with.
In a lot of Western cultures, it shows courtesy and respect to maintain good eye contact during a conversation; it helps build rapport. However, in Japan and Korea, a lot of eye contact can be seen as aggressive or disrespectful.
Emojis are another good example. They’ve been called a ubiquitous language that spans cultures because they pictorially express feelings and not words. You’d think you can’t go wrong. After all, 👌 means “ok” or “good”, right? Well, not in Brazil and Turkey. In these countries you may as well stick up your middle finger with this emoji.
You have to consider the traditions, religious beliefs, values, and customs of your new marketplace. How do you do this without missing something? You get help.
A good LSP will take you through the localization process. They’ll bring in a team that understands your target market and your industry. A team with local knowledge. They’ll get an understanding of your goals and will then do the research and put a plan in place so you hit the ground running.
Having the right LSP is having a solid long-term business partner that becomes the localization arm of your business.
We’ve explored the intricacies and critical importance of effective translation and localization. From avoiding cultural mishaps to maintaining brand reputation and ensuring regulatory compliance, the value of professional language services cannot be overstated.
By understanding the cultural context and nuances of each target market, you safeguard your brand and connect meaningfully with your audience.
At LinguaLinx, we pride ourselves on being more than just a translation service. We’re your partners in global communication, with over 20 years of experience and a proven track record across various industries.
Our expert team is dedicated to providing high-quality, culturally sensitive translations that help you succeed in new markets.
Schedule a consultation with LinguaLinx today. Let us help you navigate the complexities of global communication with confidence and precision.
With Lingualinx, you won't ever have to worry about your message getting lost as it’s translated. You know you're in good hands as we’re ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 compliant, have over twenty years of professional translation experience, and have earned the trust of organizations around the world.