“If you speak to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. But if you speak to a man in his own language it goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela Building an international brand requires insight into how to build trust in new business environments where language and culture
We all know that words can take on completely different meanings when directly translated into another language. Not only does the meaning of the individual words change, but so can their context when grouped together. For example, we would say, ‘I made a mistake’, but wouldn’t say ‘I did a mistake’. Beyond the word
Long gone are the days when global brands needed to ‘just translate’ their marketing content. Today, customers expect content that personally appeals to them, and in response, brands need to strive to create messages that can really resonate and connect with their audience. If your company is eager to enter new European markets then it
Machine translation (MT) has long since made its way into our lives. The chances are that you have used MT a fair few times in a personal context – typing canard laqué into your phone’s web browser to decipher a restaurant menu or clicking ‘See Translation’ to discover what all the fuss is about on
For over a decade now, there has been an exponential increase in the public interest in how language and communication shape (or break down) prejudices and other forms of discrimination. After being taught for centuries that language is a neutral, abstract concept (“It’s just words, they don’t do any harm!”), we are now starting to
You may have noticed that the conversation around gender is shifting on a global scale. Gender-related aspects can be reflected in your products, your marketing, and even your processes in ways you’ve never imagined. Organisations willing to see the bigger picture and openly respond to this change can break new ground for customers and employees
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – Aristotle’s famous quote is as relevant and pertinent in the localisation industry as it is in any other field. When strategists, marketers and sales teams work together with their translation providers in a collaborative way, they tend to achieve better localisation results. Why? Because
Translation or localisation? At a recent workshop organised by the Department of International Trade (DIT), we noticed a real shift from talking about ‘translation’ to talking about ‘localisation’ services. So what’s the difference? Translation is actually just one part of localisation. While translation only deals with the language aspect, i.e. translating your website/app/marketing material etc, localisation
Research insights: The true cost of poor translation
Investing in getting localisation right the first time will not only save you costs in the long run, but will also do wonders for your international brand reputation and
customer loyalty.