It’s been estimated that 90 per cent of online business is done in English, whilst 70 per cent of web users are not native English speakers. Given that the economic potential for online communication was in excess of $45 trillion, marketers have cause for concern: 75 per cent of those non-native speakers said they would not buy from an English-only platform, and only 20 per cent of non-native speakers even feel comfortable with an English-only platform.

Let’s face it: consumers are more demanding than ever before. With this relatively new mentality in place, it’s important that marketers look at satisfying customer needs when it comes to something as basic as language. Words are the spine of a marketing campaign, the motor of the complex engine that so much effort is being put in. Would you risk not perfecting the core of such mechanism?

Regardless of the size of a company and the popularity of a brand, global marketing campaigns need to be localised. Still, only 10 per cent of all content is even being translated, and the process of true localisation goes beyond just translation.

One size does not fit all. Beyond marketing segmentation, consumers expect personalisation. In 2009 you could reach over 90 per cent of customers online using 37 languages. Just three years later, in 2012, a further 11 additional languages were required to reach the same audience.

Brands need to be able to speak to customers not just in their language but in a way they understand. The challenge for marketers is to find a way of striking a balance between core global brand objectives and creating, or adapting, content so it matters to consumers in market. The problem is that this can often be seen as a complex and time consuming process when it doesn’t need to be.

So how do global brands balance global messaging with local relevancy?

Here’s a 4-step guide to ensuring that this process becomes as straight-forward as possible:

1. Decide What Content to Create and How Much to Adapt It

The first step to globalisation is to develop a framework for deciding the types of content to adapt and what level of adjustment is needed.

By identifying the business drivers and key performance indicators (KPIs) you can begin to define your success criteria.

You can then focus on what kind of content will resonate with your audience to hit these targets. Different types of content require different levels of customisation. Keep in mind that “feature rich” often means high complexity and cost, while simpler programs can be just as effective.

2. Plan Ahead

Once you know what type of content you’re going to create and how much you’re going to adapt it, you’re almost ready to start planning your program. But first, it’s helpful to familiarise yourself with the market requirements. This allows you to avoid stumbling blocks later in the process.

  • Content: Make sure the content elements will be appropriate and relevant for all audiences, also accounting for cultural and legal differences between countries.

  • Languages and display: Your target language may have different character sets and text orientation than English. This will affect your design, layout and even content length.

  • Technology: Make sure the technologies you are planning to use are compatible with regional capabilities. For example, if you are planning a social media campaign remember that some platforms do not operate in certain markets. Is your Facebook campaign adaptable for Sina Weibo in China?

  • Assessment and feedback strategies: Cultural and legal differences apply here, too. A globalisation partner in-country can be a great resource for identifying any further possible issues.

3. Create Global-Ready Content

Creating global-ready content reduces localised complexity, costs and timelines and improves the overall usability of your content.

  • Ensure that your writing is simple and straightforward;
  • Eliminate culturally specific references;
  • Use culturally neutral and flexible design elements to accommodate different character sets and text orientations.

When your content team begins writing with globalisation in mind, the result is a clear and concise source material that cuts translation costs and timelines, and improves the quality of the finished product.

4. Go global, think local

Planning for a globalisation strategy is critical to ensuring the best outcomes for any brand activity, whilst keeping costs under control. When you need materials that will have an improved impact in your target markets, success means starting every project by creating global-ready content but thinking locally.

By following these steps you will have a culturally neutral, global-ready brand plan, and an in-market team to help you globalise it for the various languages you are targeting.

 

By Paula Shannon, Chief Sales Officer and Senior Vice President at Lionbridge.

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