What Is Localization 

Localization means translation plus adaptation to the specifics of a local market. Localized content must be clear, usable, and adequately aligned with the target language market. Units, currency, formats, and tone all must match local expectations while conveying the core message. 

Strictly speaking, localization comes first because every business first needs to explain the basic concepts to their audience. Of course, that’s not set in stone. 

What Is Transcreation

Transcreation recreates (or transcreates) a content message in the target language to elicit the same emotional response as the original. What counts here is the impact the message has on the audience, not only its accuracy. Oftentimes, transcreation happens simultaneously while the message in question is being written. 

This is something that experienced language service providers bear in mind when approaching a translation project. 

5 Use Cases Where You Need Localization

Localization is necessary when the goal of content adaptation is usability, rather than persuasion. The target audience needs to be able to understand the content in question and act accordingly. The emotional aspect isn’t the most important element here. What matters more is to inform target audiences in one or more languages. Let’s analyze some contexts where localization is necessary. 

Product Setup and Instructional Content

Assembly steps and how-to guides exist to get users from box to finished product with as little friction as possible. Localization keeps the language plain and consistent, so the instructions read the same regardless of market. 

So, when a furniture company puts together its assembly instructions, it has to translate and localize its content. However, it doesn’t have to be transcreated; at least not when it comes to sheer product use instructions. 

IKEA is one of the most renowned global furniture brands. They need to localize such instructions for different markets. In addition to localization, IKEA and similar brands make proper use of diagrams and drawings because that’s a universal language.

Image credit @ Ikea

Compliance and Legal Documentation 

Legal text carries specific obligations that don’t leave room for creative interpretation. Localization keeps the meaning and structure intact, so the document holds up the same way in every language it’s translated into. 

What’s more, every website needs to include a privacy policy that explains how it protects user data from cybercriminals. 

Apple’s privacy policy, for instance, is detailed and strict in English and in other languages in which it is localized. The structure, clauses, and legal meaning are kept identical in various iterations; check out the German localization below. 

Image credit @ Apple

App and Interface Copy 

Users interacting with a product’s interface are focused on completing a task, rather than being persuaded. Localization keeps buttons, menus, and settings labels clear and functional, so the experience feels familiar no matter the language. 

Still, the brand voice needs to stay the same across different languages. 

For instance, Spotify retains its recognizable visual identity in the same way on its homepage in English and in its Italian version.

Image credit @ Spotify

Configuration and Settings Content 

Adjusting device settings needs to be equally convenient for a user in the US, South Africa, or South Korea. Creativity isn’t the main translation vehicle in this case, but concise and accurate localization. Localization prioritizes accuracy and consistency here, since creative turns would only get in the way of a simple task. 

Speaking of South Korea, Samsung is present in the entire world, meaning the people behind this brand must treat all their markets with equal care. Two versions of the Quick Start Guide for North America come in English and Spanish. The content is translated and localized in a straightforward, user-friendly manner. 

Image credits @ Samsung

Subtitles and Platform Interfaces 

Streaming platforms mix functional content, like menus and settings, with narrative content, like scripts and dialogue. Localization handles the functional layer first, making the platform usable before any deeper cultural adaptation comes into play. 

Netflix adapts subtitles, scripts, and dubbing features to different languages. They can’t just literally translate the content they stream. What’s more, they make a serious effort to localize their on-site content, so various audiences can access and consume this streaming platform more conveniently. 

Image credit @ Netflix

In all five cases above, success means the message needs to be legible, accurate, and consistent. What’s more, aiming for creativity in these cases might even confuse the end user. 

5 Use Cases Where You Need Transcreation

A business that wants to convey a deeper emotional message, raising awareness of their product or brand policy, typically needs transcreation. In this case, transferring only a message could lead to an undertranslation – including fewer details than necessary in the final product. 

Taglines and Slogans 

A slogan lives or dies by its rhythm and wordplay, which rarely survives a literal translation. It also needs to resonate with the particular local audience to have a proper effect. Transcreation rebuilds the phrase from scratch so it keeps its punch in the new language. Hence, globally present businesses usually have to adapt their slogans to different audiences, in line with the cultural and economic conditions in the field. 

For instance, Haribo’s long-term tagline in German is “Haribo macht Kinder froh und Erwachsene ebenso.” Literally, this means “Haribo makes children happy, as well as adults”. 

In English, the transcreated version is “Kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo”. The original tagline had to be adapted so that it preserves the rhyme and the rhythm, and still conveys the marketing message of the original.

Image credit @ Haribo

Culturally-Rooted Campaign Transcreation

Finding a marketing anchor or association in the local language is a perfect nest for transcreation. Transcreation is looking for that local hook rather than forcing the original concept to translate directly. 

Speaking of nest, Nestlé Japan carried out perfect transcreation for their KitKat campaign. Since there’s an expression kitto katsu in Japanese (きっと勝つ), meaning “You surely win”, applying transcreation was an obvious choice. 

The original slogan “Have a break, have a KitKat” wouldn’t sound powerful enough in Japanese, while the transcreated version has made this campaign one of the most successful adapted campaigns in general, not only for Nestlé. 

Image credit @ KitKat

Personalized Marketing Content

Personalization campaigns often hinge on details, like names, that don’t carry the same meaning across cultures. Transcreation adapts the mechanic itself so the campaign still feels personal in each market. 

A person’s name is definitely one of their strongest mental associations. The marketing gurus from Coca-Cola realized in 2011 that printing people’s first names on bottle labels could be a smart idea. They did it first in Australia that same year, with the 150 most popular first names down under. Originally promoted under the “Share a Coke” umbrella slogan, this campaign has been adapted to 120+ markets so far. 

What’s more, there’s even an option to request a customized bottle of Coke with a person’s name in case it’s not among the ones printed by the company. It hardly gets more personalized than this, at least on a global level. 

Image credit @ Coca Cola

Adaptable Global Campaigns 

A strong campaign concept can travel across markets, but its execution rarely can. Transcreation keeps the core idea intact while rebuilding the details around local humor and relevant faces. 

Therefore, many brands develop a universal message or tagline only to adapt it to local humour, famous people, or social settings. 

Snickers’ campaign under the slogan “You’re not you when you’re hungry” has become one of the most famous campaigns in the world in the last decade. The original slogan was adapted to various markets, with different celebrities taking part in the commercial variations. In line with that, Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean has become a memorable association of the Snickers chocolate bar. 

Image credit @ Sneakers

Brand Voice and Personality 

Some brands build their entire identity around a distinct personality rather than a product feature. When that’s the case, transcreation protects the character that makes the brand recognizable in the first place. 

Duolingo is one of the most effective examples of appealingly executed transcreation across several markets. The company works with different social media accounts for different markets (German, Japanese, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, etc.). Their visually appealing owl logo is an outgoing socialite in Germany, while it’s a sweet and playful birdie in the content for the Brazilian market. Even the sentences inside the app aren’t just translated from one language to another – they’re genuinely written to grasp the feel of different languages.

Image credit @ Duolingo

Localization vs Transcreation: How to Choose?

Since translation is rarely a mathematically strict process, it’s hard to tell at the beginning of a new project whether it will include only localization services or there will be a need for transcreation services, as well. But the following questions might help. 

What’s the Purpose of the Content?

The first question LSPs need to ask themselves is what this asset is for. Tutorials, instructions, and documentation need to inform, rather than persuade. The localization meaning of clarity and function resonates better with such purposes. If sales and particular landing pages are part of the project, it will have to include transcreation storytelling, delving into the transcreation meaning of emotional resonance and persuasion. 

What’s the Cultural Context? 

The next criterion in deciding between transcreation and localization is the content’s cultural context. Using humour, idioms, and pop cultural references requires transcreation. Still, content aimed at close markets in the same language (think DACH) can often stay within the localization segment. 

How Much Does the Brand Voice Matter?

The weight of the brand in question’s voice is another important checkpoint. If a brand’s recognizability is based on minute details (such as Duolingo), transcreation is a brand’s voice protector. Brands that build their voice on precision will often find localization good enough. 

What’s the Budget and the Timeframe?

Choosing between localization and transcreation also depends on the budget and time interval. Localization is usually faster, ideal for high-volume projects (especially with the help of machine translation). Transcreation is usually slower and costs more, as it includes copywriters, brand managers, etc. 

What’s the Brand’s Local Market Presence? 

Finally, a new brand in a certain market will most probably need more transcreation to ensure winning over the new audience. Once established, localization can handle the content, with transcreation jumping in for new campaigns. 

In the end, localization and transcreation are rarely two completely separate processes. It’s just a matter of the level of brand awareness and presence in a certain market. 

Transcreation vs Localization: The Practical Distinction

When Combining Localization and Transcreation Works

Localization and transcreation are two sides of the same translation coin. The only thing is that LSPs and businesses shouldn’t leave this choice to luck. On the contrary, seasoned translation professionals need to work together with their clients on setting the goals of every such translation project. When the client provides enough information, the LSP can suggest the right workflow. In a nutshell, localization should be used for heavy lifting and basic explanations, while transcreation comes for fine strokes and deeper connotations. 

Using these two translation methodologies together, but not always at the same time, is typically the best possible practical utilization. 

With many localization and transcreation projects under its belt in 20+ years in the translation industry, Ciklopea knows how to make your brand start speaking in different languages. Get in touch to find out more and ask for your personalized quote today. 

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The Data Revolution in Language Services 

The language services industry has undergone a dramatic transformation. Where once Language Service Providers (LSPs) primarily focused on translation accuracy and delivery speed, today’s leading providers have evolved into strategic partners who leverage comprehensive data analytics to drive business decisions. 

This evolution reflects a broader trend in business intelligence: the recognition that data-driven decision making consistently outperforms intuition-based strategies. When applied to language strategy, this principle becomes even more powerful, as the stakes of getting market entry wrong can be substantial. 

Consider the complexity of modern market analysis. A company expanding into Southeast Asia, for example, must navigate not just linguistic diversity, but varying levels of digital penetration, economic development, cultural preferences, and competitive landscapes. Traditional approaches might focus solely on population size or basic economic indicators. Data-driven strategies, however, incorporate multidimensional analysis that reveals hidden opportunities and potential pitfalls. 

Key Data Points That Drive Strategic Decisions 

Digital Market Intelligence 

Understanding internet population size and digital behavior patterns provides crucial insights into content consumption habits. Markets with high mobile internet usage may require different content strategies than those dominated by desktop users. Social media penetration rates, e-commerce adoption, and digital payment preferences all influence how content should be localized and distributed. 

Economic Indicators with Linguistic Context 

Online GDP data, when combined with language distribution metrics, reveals market potential with unprecedented accuracy. A region might have strong economic indicators, but if the target language represents only a small percentage of the economically active population, the localization ROI may be limited. Conversely, markets with moderate overall GDP but high concentration of target language speakers might offer exceptional opportunities. 

Language Vitality and Usage Patterns 

Modern BI tools enable analysis of language vitality—not just how many people speak a language, but how actively they use it in digital environments. This includes social media engagement, content creation patterns, and online purchasing behavior in specific languages. These metrics often reveal significant gaps between census data and actual market reality. 

Competitive Landscape Analysis 

Data-driven approaches also examine competitor localization strategies, identifying market gaps and oversaturated segments. Understanding which languages competitors have prioritized—and more importantly, which they’ve overlooked—can reveal strategic opportunities for market differentiation. 

From Traditional Localization to Strategic Global Content Solutions 

The transformation from traditional localization to strategic global content solutions represents a fundamental shift in thinking. Traditional approaches typically followed a sequential model: create content in a source language, then translate it for target markets. This process often resulted in content that was linguistically accurate but culturally misaligned or strategically irrelevant. 

Strategic global content solutions, by contrast, begin with comprehensive market analysis and audience research. Content creation becomes a parallel process, with market insights informing not just how content is localized, but what content is created in the first place. This approach recognizes that effective global communication often requires fundamentally different messaging strategies for different markets, rather than simple translation of existing content. 

The financial implications of this shift are significant. Companies that invest in strategic, data-driven language planning typically see higher engagement rates, improved conversion metrics, and more efficient resource allocation. They avoid costly mistakes like over-investing in low-potential markets or under-investing in high-opportunity regions. 

Technology Tools Enabling Data-Driven Decisions 

Business Intelligence Platforms 

Modern BI tools have become essential for language strategy planning. These platforms can integrate diverse data sources—from demographic databases to social media analytics—creating comprehensive market profiles that inform strategic decisions. Advanced visualization capabilities help decision-makers understand complex relationships between linguistic, economic, and cultural factors. 

Language Analytics Solutions 

Specialized tools now exist for analyzing language-specific metrics across digital platforms. These solutions can track language usage patterns, content engagement rates, and conversion metrics by linguistic segment. Such granular analysis enables optimization of both content strategy and resource allocation. 

Market Intelligence Integration 

The most effective approaches combine language-specific data with broader market intelligence. This integration provides context that pure linguistic analysis cannot achieve, revealing how language preferences intersect with economic behavior, cultural trends, and technological adoption. 

Ciklopea’s Approach: Leading the Data-Driven Revolution 

At Ciklopea, we’ve embraced this data-driven transformation not as a trend to follow, but as a fundamental principle that guides every aspect of our service delivery. Our approach recognizes that truly effective language strategy requires deep understanding of the intersection between linguistic capability, market dynamics, and business objectives. 

Our consultative methodology begins with comprehensive data analysis, examining not just obvious metrics like population size, but sophisticated indicators like digital engagement patterns, economic activity by language segment, and competitive positioning analysis. This foundation enables us to provide recommendations that are both strategically sound and practically implementable. 

We’ve invested significantly in developing proprietary analytical capabilities that combine traditional language service expertise with modern business intelligence tools. This combination allows us to identify opportunities that might be invisible to approaches focused solely on linguistic or purely commercial factors. 

Our client partnerships reflect this strategic orientation. Rather than simply executing predetermined localization projects, we work collaboratively to develop comprehensive language strategies that align with broader business objectives. This approach has consistently delivered superior outcomes for our clients, whether they’re entering new markets, optimizing existing international operations, or developing global content strategies. 

The regional expertise that defines Ciklopea’s market position enhances our data-driven capabilities. Our deep understanding of Central and Eastern European markets, combined with sophisticated analytical tools, enables insights that generic global providers cannot match. We understand not just the linguistic landscape, but the cultural, economic, and technological factors that influence how content performs in specific markets. 

The Competitive Advantage of Strategic Language Planning 

Organizations that embrace data-driven language strategy gain several distinct competitive advantages. First, they make more informed market entry decisions, reducing the risk of costly failures while identifying high-potential opportunities that competitors might miss. 

Second, they optimize resource allocation more effectively. Instead of spreading localization budgets thinly across multiple markets, they can concentrate resources on segments with the highest probability of success. This focused approach typically delivers better ROI and faster time-to-market for successful launches. 

Third, they develop more resonant content strategies. Understanding the cultural and linguistic nuances revealed through comprehensive data analysis enables creation of content that connects more authentically with target audiences. This authenticity translates directly into improved engagement and conversion rates. 

Finally, they build more sustainable international operations. Strategic language planning creates systematic approaches that can be scaled and replicated as organizations expand into additional markets. This systematic foundation supports long-term growth more effectively than ad hoc localization decisions. 

The Future of Global Content Strategy 

The trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated, data-driven language strategy is clear. Organizations that embrace this evolution position themselves for sustainable global growth, while those that cling to traditional approaches risk being outmaneuvered by more strategic competitors. 

The tools and methodologies that enable effective data-driven language strategy continue to evolve rapidly. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are beginning to provide even more sophisticated market analysis capabilities, while integration platforms make it easier to combine diverse data sources into comprehensive strategic frameworks. 

However, technology alone cannot deliver strategic advantage. The most successful approaches combine advanced analytical capabilities with deep linguistic and cultural expertise. This combination—sophisticated data analysis guided by experienced strategic thinking—represents the future of effective global content strategy. 

Take the Next Step: Transform Your Global Strategy 

The opportunity to leverage data-driven language strategy for competitive advantage has never been greater. Markets are evolving rapidly, digital channels are proliferating, and consumer expectations for authentic, locally relevant content continue to rise. 

If your organization is ready to move beyond traditional localization approaches toward strategic, data-driven global content solutions, Ciklopea is positioned to guide that transformation. Our combination of regional expertise, analytical capabilities, and consultative approach enables us to develop language strategies that deliver measurable business results. 

Whether you’re planning initial international expansion, optimizing existing global operations, or developing comprehensive multilingual content strategies, we invite you to explore how data-driven language planning can transform your approach. 

Contact Ciklopea today to  

Schedule a Discovery Call

and see how personalized, data-driven language strategy can accelerate your global success.  

Let us show you what’s possible when strategic thinking meets linguistic expertise, powered by comprehensive market intelligence. 

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For procurement leaders in regulated environments, localization QBRs serve as formal audit-ready documentation of:

• Compliance verification with industry-specific regulations (FDA, EMA, MHRA, etc.)
• Risk mitigation protocols implemented across all target markets
• Documentation of corrective actions taken to address previous quality incidents
• Validation of linguistic validation procedures for patient-facing materials
• Standardization of processes across multiple departments and global markets

Unlike typical vendor reviews, QBRs in regulated industries function as formal governance mechanisms that create auditable trails of oversight—essential during regulatory inspections.

Industry-Specific KPIs That Matter to Procurement Leaders

The most effective localization KPIs for regulated industries focus on risk reduction, compliance assurance, and total cost of ownership:

1. Compliance & Risk Metrics

• Regulatory submission acceptance rates by market and document type
• Terminology consistency percentage across product lines and submissions
• Compliance deviation tracking with root cause analysis
• Audit-ready documentation completion rates

2. Process Validation Metrics

• First-time-right percentage for regulatory submissions
• Change management efficiency (implementation time for terminology updates)
• Process adherence scores across different document categories
• Deviation investigation closure rates

3. Cost Containment & Efficiency

• Total cost of ownership analysis (including revision cycles and regulatory delays)
• Workflow automation adoption rates and resulting time savings
• Resource allocation efficiency across therapeutic areas/product lines
• Technology integration ROI measurements

4. Strategic Partnership Indicators

• Process standardization progress across markets and divisions
• Knowledge transfer effectiveness scores
• Continuous improvement implementation rates
• Cross-functional alignment measurements

Ciklopea’s Approach: Governance-Focused Localization Management

As specialists in regulated industry localization, Ciklopea implements a procurement-friendly approach to QBRs and KPIs that emphasizes:

• Audit-Ready Documentation: Our QBR process creates inspection-ready trails of all localization decisions and quality controls.
• Compliance-First Technology: We integrate regulatory terminology databases and compliance checks into every workflow.
• Risk Categorization Framework: We stratify content by regulatory risk level to optimize resource allocation while maintaining compliance.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Our systems integrate with your quality management and document control systems for seamless traceability.

The Procurement Advantage

For procurement professionals in regulated industries, implementing structured QBRs with Ciklopea delivers tangible benefits:

• Simplified vendor consolidation with demonstrated compliance expertise
• Reduced regulatory submission cycles through first-time-right processes
• Documented due diligence for all localization activities
• Standardized processes across global markets and therapeutic areas/product lines

Take the Next Step

If your organization requires demonstrable governance of localization activities that will withstand regulatory scrutiny, let’s discuss implementing a structured QBR framework with compliance-focused KPIs.

Contact our Team for a consultation.

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Linguistic annotation involves adding metadata to language data (texts, audio, etc.) to mark various linguistic features. This could include anything from labeling parts of speech in a sentence to indicating the sentiment of a phrase, or even marking pauses in speech in an audio file. These annotations provide essential context and structure to raw language data, making it more useful for training AI and ML models.

Types of Linguistic Annotation

1. Morphological Annotation: This involves tagging the grammatical features of words, such as tense, number, and case. It’s a foundational step in understanding the structure of languages and is vital for tasks like machine translation and text analysis.
2. Syntactic Annotation: Here, sentences are broken down into their grammatical components, such as subjects, objects, and predicates. Syntactic annotation is crucial for developing natural language processing (NLP) systems, which need to understand sentence structure.
3. Semantic Annotation: This goes a step further by tagging the meanings of words and phrases. For example, in the sentence “The bank is closed,” semantic annotation would help an AI differentiate between a financial institution and a riverbank.
4. Pragmatic Annotation: This type of annotation focuses on the context in which language is used, such as identifying speech acts (e.g., requests, commands) and discourse markers (e.g., “however,” “therefore”). It’s essential for applications like dialogue systems, which need to understand conversational context.
5. Sentiment Annotation: Sentiment annotation involves tagging text with information about the emotional tone or attitude expressed. This is especially useful in customer feedback analysis, social media monitoring, and other areas where understanding sentiment is key.
6. Named Entity Recognition (NER): This involves tagging the names of people, organizations, locations, and other entities within a text. NER is crucial for information retrieval, question-answering systems, and many other NLP tasks.

The Importance of Linguistic Annotation in AI and ML

The success of AI and ML models largely depends on the quality and quantity of annotated data they are trained on. Without linguistic annotation, AI systems would struggle to interpret and generate human language accurately. Here are a few reasons why linguistic annotation is vital:

• Improved Accuracy: Annotated data helps models understand the nuances of language, leading to more accurate predictions and outputs.
• Contextual Understanding: By providing context, annotations enable models to grasp the meaning behind words and phrases, which is essential for tasks like translation and sentiment analysis.
• Training Efficiency: High-quality annotations reduce the need for massive amounts of data, as they help models learn more from smaller datasets.
• Better User Experience: Ultimately, well-annotated data leads to AI and ML systems that better understand and interact with users, creating a more seamless and natural experience.

Linguistic Annotation at Ciklopea

At Ciklopea, we recognize the importance of linguistic annotation in developing sophisticated language technologies. Our team of linguistic experts and data scientists work together to provide high-quality annotation services tailored to the needs of AI and ML projects. Whether it’s for training a new NLP model or enhancing an existing one, we ensure that the annotated data we provide is accurate, contextually rich, and ready to fuel innovation.

Conclusion

As AI and ML continue to advance, the demand for precise linguistic annotation will only grow. By understanding and implementing effective annotation practices, companies can ensure their language-based technologies are not only functional but also capable of delivering superior user experiences. At Ciklopea, we are committed to supporting this journey with our expertise in linguistic annotation, helping our clients turn language data into powerful, intelligent solutions.

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While the basic phases and the desired outcome of each project are generally the same, the variables such as language combinations, number of language pairs, type, format and purpose of the materials and any additional services required will influence the scope and consequently the price of each project.

Take a look at the key points you need to define at the beginning of your journey towards the perfect service:

Translation vs Localization

While translation refers to communicating the meaning between the languages (mostly in textual format), localization, as its name implies, refers to a particular place, or even more specifically, to a particular market.

Its purpose is to adapt the product/service to the linguistic, cultural and legal environment of the target market, while maintaining the corporate identity and the essence of the corporate message and values across different languages and locales.

Translation is an extremely important part of the localization process, but localization goes deeper, as it also often includes adaptation of non-textual elements such as images, layouts, multimedia elements etc, as well as alignment of the product/service with any market-specific legal or technical requirements.

In short, you may need translation only for textual content, while for websites, software, IFUs, multimedia materials and everything else you should be looking for localization.

When done the right way, localization is invisible – if the end user can notice the seams, something is not quite right. To achieve this invisibility, we need the localization process.

The process

The localization process can include more or less stages, depending on the requirements and objectives of each particular project. The standard process version includes the essential roles of a PM, translators, reviewers and a QA
team.

The technology

It is impossible to imagine the localization process without the dedicated translation technologies and productivity suites designed to generate more high-quality content in less time and at optimal costs. CAT (Computer-assisted translation) tools are software products designed to help professional human translators generate more work in less time and they have been the industry standard for decades.

Machine translation (MT) is the translation output generated by machines, i.e. machine translation engines that should be custom developed for best results. MT can be performed with the application of Artificial intelligence (AI), with the post-editing and quality control steps by professional human translators.

The context

The context refers to what do you need to localize and who is your target audience. The type and format of your content will have a significant impact on the turnaround time and costs of the localization process. It is important to bear in mind that the purpose of the localization process is the same in all cases and what differs mainly depends on the context i.e. target audience: It is not the same to localize corporate materials in editable vs. non-editable files, website localization vs. localization of highly specialised materials, transcreation vs. localization of multimedia files etc. In other words, the specific stages and workflows of the process will largely depend on the type and format of your materials.

The volume

The volume refers to how much content do you want to translate and how are the costs calculated – and, lest we forget, the number of language combinations. Translation and reviewing volumes are usually calculated per source word, with applied calculations that generate weighted word counts, with matches and repetitions at reduced price per word. This method of calculation is one of the many benefits of CAT (as well as MT + AI) platforms. In cases when localization is performed in several language combinations, it is always advisable to prepare the source material in one major language and then to localize from it to other languages, and thus avoid language pairs with reduced availability.

The Quality

Quality in this context is not an elusive or preferential aspect of the localized materials, but actually a predictable and measurable result of the localization process. The aspects of quality of translated materials such as accuracy, appropriateness and fluency can be assessed, and these are the aspects of your corporate message that can have an impact on your business performance and that can make your marketing campaigns sink or swim in international markets. The thing is that people tend to notice the quality of the language only when it’s bad – and when it’s bad, it always brings a whiff of sloppiness and untrustworthiness that may have serious consequences on your business.

The reason why language industry even exists, together with its processes and dedicated technologies, is to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

Sounds interesting? See more details on:

Buyer Guide

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In other words, there is no room for footnotes and appendices in localization. Nor for awkward, vague and misleading phrases. Occurrence of any of this in localized materials is simply a localization failure.

Yet, these things do happen and localization teams often struggle to adapt even the simplest phrases in a specific context. Why?

Struggle for digital attention

Our lives are largely (and increasingly) digital. We are surrounded with textual and visual information. Our days are saturated with texts and images flashing before our eyes at home, at work and at play. The people who produce the content struggle for our attention by investing time and energy into developing catchy phrases, stylized visuals and intuitive user interfaces that communicate as much information as possible in as little content as possible.

Localization needs to adapt all of these aspects into the target culture – but the truth is that not every language/culture is equally suited for this.

Constraints of source language

With almost all source materials composed in English and then translated/localized to other languages, one major constraining factor in achieving the full localization potential often remains overlooked – and it is the very nature of the English language.

Every linguist can confirm that the simplified inflection (i.e. lack of case and gender endings) or possessive noun phrases in English, while great features in themselves particularly if you are a foreign language student, is often the reason for nightmares in the localization department.

It is easy to say a lot with little words in English, while other languages with stricter morphologies and syntaxes may usually need more words to convey the same amount of information and even more to convey a specific tone and produce desired effect. What can be done?

Enter Transcreation

Creative translation or transcreation is the process of adapting the particular tone, style and rhythm of the source materials to the target culture. Its main focus is to reproduce the effect of the message rather than its original meaning.

Transcreation has been used extensively for marketing materials, most often in ads and taglines, but perhaps it can be used for a little bit more. Let us just imagine for a moment that the heart of localization process is not translation, but transcreation.

This would mean that, instead of source text, the localization teams receive instructions, images, application, delivery or product to be localized, information on the target audiences and the desired effect of the localized materials.

Effectively, the primary task of localization team would be to recreate rather than adapt the source materials.

Of course, this approach would never work for materials where the source meaning is crucial (you can forget about it when it comes to any medical, pharmaceutical or technical materials), but it might probably be just the perfect localization strategy for software, games and marketing materials, i.e. all localization projects whose ultimate goal is an immersive experience that would be local instead of localized.

It will take a bit of courage, but, on the basis of everything we have learned thus far, is our belief that this approach is the way to the future with less headaches and more success.

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In most cases, the person in charge of localization will be digital marketing managers with strong sales skills, specific marketing channel expertise and strong creative and analytical abilities.  They are responsible for the digital content with the purpose of attracting the new customers and maintaining the relationships with the existing ones. Translation services that they might need will almost certainly include SEO keywords research, content production, development of meta descriptions and title tags, backlink building or the use of technology i.e. the adequate software. The final goal would be to perform the onsite content optimization. Services of a team with highly specialized positions such as a transcreator, an SEO specialist, an IT specialist, a Digital Marketing Specialist, a Content Producer and a WordPress Specialist might be required.

In addition, a step which is not to be forgotten is engaging an in-country reviewer of the localized and transcreated materials, i.e. the one who will check the content against the target market’s cultural, linguistic and legal environment. You do not want to accidently confuse or offend your foreign clients and in-country review by a third party native reviewer is the quality control step to prevent this.

With the increased content production, automation through a translation management system is a must.  It optimizes the process and ensures that the newly produced content will be localized and published on time. When it comes to website localization, a CMS plugin is a next logical step forward which saves time and preserves the code and the design integrity.

Speed of delivery, adequate style and the regular use of SEO and digital marketing services might help you take your company straight to the digital throne.

Trends and challenges

Influx of international travellers will definitely make hoteliers provide services in a variety of languages with the emphasis on the unique needs of the international visitors. Real time damage control i.e. the constant feedback or translation evaluation might help maintain positive guest relations and drive the future bookings.Having a differentiation point will be more than necessary as the hotels are trying to offer unique services and to be tech savvy as we speak, i.e. offering of additional customized services and technologies is a must.

The tech explosion brings the modern travelers that are self-aware, tech-savvy and comfortable with using apps or mobile websites. Hotels need to make sure their services are up-to-date and user-friendly. At business meetings and conferences, travelers expect hotels and conference centers to have high quality tech equipment and a knowledgeable support staff.

Where do the language services fit in here?

The main goal of every localization effort is customization of the product/services, while keeping up with the trends and industrial developments is the main obligation of the language industry.

Therefore, in addition to providing fully customized experience to the foreign clients, the language services need to be adaptable and compliant with the latest technologies. For example, it might be necessary to localize chatbots, which might provide faster basic online booking services than an agent in certain cases, or provide a quick info on the sleeping arrangement or vacancies. In other words, digital transformation in visible everywhere and the language services providers need to stay on this road as well, from the way the projects are negotiated and executed, to the way the service and support are delivered to the client.

Translation industry has not been limited to the paperwork and mere communication from one language to another for decades – it is a heavily digitized industry with an important role in the contemporary globalized world and it is here to help the other industries grow on the multilingual markets through combination of professional human knowledge, technology and processes.

All of this makes an LSP an ideal partner in the global business operations who can help you adapt your message in accordance with the target market’s language, culture, and the target audience’s preferences – in any form and for all media.

Contact Us for customized language solutions for the travel & hospitality industry.

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Different Markets – Different Approaches

Most marketing materials are originally produced in English and designed to appeal to the specific cultures of the Anglophone countries, and, sadly, most of the time without localization being taken into account. This usually means that even the most carefully produced copies, ads, campaigns and other types of marketing materials may lose a good deal of their original flair and punch in localization because their structure and the original cultural context simply prevent the message from resonating with the target audiences on the foreign markets the way it should.

While creating a new content for each market may take too many resources, it should never be forgotten that different markets demand different approaches. The content designed to reach and engage foreign clients and customers cannot simply be localized, and for this reason it is important to answer the following questions during the content production process:

• Will the message designed for one market work on another?
• Can the message be changed on the foreign markets?
• What is the universal appeal of the message?

The solutions that can be helpful in adapting the desired tone, style and meaning of the original message to the foreign market include:

• Target culture research
• Transcreation
• In-country review

Our experience has shown time and again that the most successful marketing localization projects were executed in close cooperation with all stakeholders at all stages, from content producers to in-country linguists. In fact, the Pareto principle for a successful localization of marketing materials could easily read 80% of research and consulting, 20% of language tasks.

Localizing Post-Sale Activities

While the traditional marketing materials are regularly localized, post-sale customer support rarely gets this kind of attention.

Companies are predominantly focused on providing customer support on their home markets. One of the main reasons for this is that the real value of localizing the entire cycle of customer experience is not always evident, but the recent research by CSA The ROI of Customer Engagement clearly demonstrates that both B2B and B2C customers from the non-English speaking countries largely prefer post-sale customer care in their own language – a survey of 3000 respondents showed that 85% of them would rather buy software or a high-tech product if the post-sale technical support is available in their language, while 74% of them are more likely to purchase the same brand again if the after-sales care is in their language. (Read more: ROI on Global Customer Experience? Show Them the Money)

This all brings us back to the first sentence – people won’t buy a product/service they don’t understand – but lest we forget that the term understand here includes all stages of the customer’s interaction with a product/service, all the way through post-sale customer support.

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Since a big part of the learning process happens on the Internet nowadays, more and more people are leaning towards remote learning. They can choose from number of online courses, and there’s even the possibility of enrolling and attending online universities. Having that in mind, it’s important to think about the global outreach it may achieve. Which is why it’s necessary to localize the learning material, so it could be understandable for the worldwide audience thirsty for knowledge. However, as for any other localization process, there are few essential guidelines which can make the job a lot easier.

Defining the languages and the target markets

It’s impossible to dive into the localization process before we’ve identified our target markets and the appropriate languages. Right after that, we need to define the scope of localization. This would, first and foremost, include:

• Content – because you need something to learn from;
• User interface – because there is no point in beginning your journey if you can’t understand the first half of it;
• Audio content – if there’s any audio content incorporated in the learning material, it should be localized as well;
• Images, graphics, screenshots – images are as important as the text, which obviously means they should be adadpted for every language in the predefined scope;
• Help guides, glossaries and resources – don’t forget any other external content that could be helpful for the learners.

UI in the name of improving the UX

Since one of the goals should be providing the users with excellent experience, a good way to do it would be to make the simple and smooth user interface. In addition to the UI being localized, it would be nice if it had logical flow that doesn’t confuse the users. All images should be replaced with the culturally appropriate ones. Of course, we shall not forget to leave some space for text expansion. Also, don’t forget to think about different devices and to optimize the interface accordingly.

Pay attention to details

When localizing learning material, we must not forget the different cultural features. Since it’s a really sensitive subject, we must approach it with special care. The same thing can have vastly different meanings across the globe. Which is why it’s also crucial to adapt all other features like colours, symbols, images, etc.

Every localization professional can assure you that the process is not easy at all. Some things are just hard to transcreate and adapt for different markets, particularly if there are any colloquialisms, regional or other linguistic variations that are hard to translate or that are untranslatable at all. In order to avoid that, we should always use simple, concise language and pronunciation.

The flow of the localization process

For this matter, it would be best to build the localization team out of language professionals and native speakers, who know the source and target language in depth. So, if there are any changes/updates in the learning material or the localization workflow, they will be familiar with every detail.

In addition to translators, there should always be a team of reviewers, who will check and proofread all the materials. There is always something that translators could oversee or something that could be translated in a more fluid and natural way. After all, two heads are always smarter than one.

Testing the final product

After wrapping up the material, it’s obligatory to do the extensive testing to see how the different users will be taking the courses. The testing should be carried out several times and on several different sample groups in order to get the better insight. Also, it is suggested to do the testing for different devices and browsers. It should also be tested for different bandwidths, too, since some countries may have limited access to the Internet.

Please have in mind that this is a time-consuming process that simply cannot be done overnight, as it requires a group of professionals to work on it continuously. If you would like to dive into eLearning localization, but don’t know where to start, you can always seek help from our language experts who are more than willing to guide you through the whole process.

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Before producing content, we definitely should analyse our visitors and their behaviour on the Internet.

In other words, we need to have a clear vision of how our target audiences look and act like while browsing the Web and what kind of content drives them to engage more. Another thing we should take into consideration is whether they’re engaging with the content via their desktop computer, laptop or a smartphone. Only when we get the answers to these questions, we can start thinking about how to fulfill their desires with interesting content.

On the other hand, there’s the complex problem of making the same content relevant for different users. Let’s say you want to talk about some new tech gadget on the market. The first users that come to your mind would probably be tech lovers, geeks and experts, but how can you readapt that same content to be interesting to non-experts and newbies?

Will the professional/expert terminology and approach mean anything to lay users? And who is your target audience?

Your content means nothing without the context in which it is consumed. Of course, there is an unimaginable number of contexts in the universe and it is impossible to think of every single one, but you should cover the most probable ones.

Except for the audience, it’s important to adapt the content for different platforms and social networks. Something may work for Facebook, but that same thing will not work for Twitter or Instagram. Because we can’t transfer one message through different channels in the same format and expect it to have the same impact and results.

And on top of all this comes localization as a device of adapting the content and its context to the environment of the foreign markets, which is another contextual arena with divisions and subdivisions of its own.

It seems like the conclusion here is obvious – content cannot exist without context, or it can, but it will inevitably lose a lot of its juice (or worse) if taken out of context. And while it may be seemingly easy to create content, it definitely takes deeper thinking and more resources to make it relevant for different customers and platforms. Which means it also takes continuous readaption and improvement.

So don’t be stingy with creativity and more importantly – don’t be afraid of the change.

The post It’s All Connected: Harmonizing Content and Context appeared first on Ciklopea.

We all have our preferences, but the truth is that half of the global online population use smartphones and tablets for their daily browsing, and this number increases every year. Taking the mobile-first approach is therefore the most reasonable choice that will make your shiny new e-shopping website accessible and fully functional on every device.

For best results, localization needs to be integrated into the web development from day one, which means that you should develop your web architecture and produce your content with localization in mind, meaning, inter alia, that you should plan the support for variable string lengths and different writing systems in advance.

To retain the advanced features of your website across the different locales, you must remember that localization is many things, but simple it is not. Never.

However, there are advanced solutions that will help you optimize the process, cut costs and save great amounts of precious time and energy, and, most importantly, preserve the layout and code integrity across the localized versions through the integration of cloud-based CAT (computer-assisted translation) software and your online content management system.

These solutions are available for WordPress, Drupal and can also be custom-tailored for other CMS platforms.

Read a detailed overview of localization technologies and their benefits for your business in our feature article “How to Cut Localization Costs with Translation Technology”.

Content Adaptation and Culturalization

The purpose of any store, from a mega market to any tiny, friendly neighborhood grocery or thrift store is selling. But the thing is there are no sales if your customers can’t understand what is it that you are selling, and, even more importantly, if they can’t relate to the products and see them as something that adds value to their life and is in line with their lifestyles.

In other words, plain translation of the copies, product titles, categories, catchy phrases and product descriptions that you have so carefully developed for your home market will probably cause underperformance or failure on any foreign market precisely because they have been developed for a specific cultural and linguistic environment.

Every market has its specificities and requires specific approach, so you need to adapt your content not only appropriate, but also native to the target culture. To achieve this, you might want to consider sophisticated language solutions such as transcreation.

Wrap-up

Localization of any website, including the online stores, is a team effort that requires expertise and good coordination of all stakeholders, from website developers and content producers to linguists and editors. There is no such thing as translation of digital marketing content – it has to be localized, adapted, reedited and sometimes even recreated to blend into the environment of the global markets seamlessly.

Therefore, the one thing that you most certainly don’t want to do is approach the localization process as an easy and quick addition to web development because this is precisely the approach that will cost you dearly. L10n is a multi-phase process that is vital to the global success of your business and all its aspects – the technical, the cultural and the linguistic ones – must be taken into account from day one of any global business venture.

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Creative translation – taking localization a step further

Transcreation cuts through localization, translation and cultural adaptation to communicate the style, rhythm, vividness and intent of the source material on the foreign markets. For example, will the meaning and the sound of the rhyming adjective true-blue remain the same if the phrase is simply translated to, say, Russian? Not very likely. And in the event the phrase is used deliberately because blue colour is important for branding/marketing campaign, we will have to find a linguistic solution that will preserve the intent, style and meaning of the original phrase and yet work on the target market.

Damage prevention

Perhaps the most well-known example of successful transcreation comes from the automotive industry – Mitsubishi famously rebranded their SUV Pajero to Montero on the Spanish-speaking markets because the word has a negative connotation in Spanish, being fully aware of the damage it would cause of those markets, although it may sound exotic and powerful in the rest of the world (it is actually named after the Pampas cat, Leopardus pajeros). Just for the record – the same SUV was named Shogun in the UK.

This example also shows another, extremely important aspect of transcreation and that is the damage prevention. A word that may be right in one culture may completely backfire or flop in another culture, and the results of that honest mistake may truly be disastrous. In this regard, transcreation is something of a safety device.

When do I need transcreation?

The simple answer is whenever you’ve employed a creative copywriter to convey a concept or motivate your audience into action. Transcreation is the only way to preserve the creative investment you’ve made in your original text and ensure that localized versions are both culturally sensitive and relevant to your target audience. As a client, you need to provide your provider of linguistic solutions with as much information about the purpose, target audience and esthetic features of your source materials as possible – and enjoy the benefits of transcreation afterwards.

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