[ CASE STUDY ]
Adaptation + translation = localization:
An elegant model for localization
When a fast-growing U.S.-based luxury automaker began planning to expand to Canada, the EU, and the Middle East, its leaders realized that to speak eloquently to prospective buyers in each target region, it needed to present marketing materials localized to its upscale buyers' cultural and language preferences.
Without a full-time localization expert on staff, the car maker looked to L10N Consulting to make the process both timely and less overwhelming than the daunting monolith it seemed to be.
Innovation through logic and experience
L10N Consulting created an elegant concept that parsed the typical process into easy-to-manage steps. By finalizing the cultural adaptation of written materials in English before the translation step, L10N Consulting enabled more streamlined, more accurate and more nuanced localization.
Why exceptional localization matters
That materials needed to be translated flawlessly into local languages was obvious. Equally crucial, though, was the need for contextual adaptation. Here's why.
Some cultural adaptations are subtle: In the U.S., for example, interior photos of the luxe autos show speedometer and odometer readings in miles. These images were updated for some other markets to show the readings in kilometers.
Other adaptations are more straightforward: Representations of opening hours are different, as are currency notations. In some markets, readers read from left to right; in others, right to left.
Some buyers might expect to text, phone, or email for an appointment to test drive a car, whereas in other countries, they might expect to be picked up and delivered to the showroom.
More specifically, the automaker's product and service offerings vary by country or region to meet local automotive regulations and buyer tastes. For example, trims favored in one area can be completely different in another.
Additionally, the English-language copy itself must be adapted to remove idioms and cultural assumptions so that they are not later translated into local languages.
Spotlight on the product offering
Nailing all the necessary adaptations before translation—while simultaneously preserving the manufacturer's iconic branding—ensured that prospective buyers will focus on the carmaker's stunning product offering rather than a mistaken currency notation or clumsy cultural reference.
Introducing the "adaptation before translation" step enabled the firm's global offices to match the automaker's compelling visual presence with culturally appropriate visual cues and text, ensuring seamless communication of its brand and the allure of its vehicles.
Impact on workflows and content production
in the firm's marketing arm
Over six to 12 months, as the young company developed its own processes, its web design and marketing team created new workflows that incorporated L10N Consulting's "language adaptation first" step to guide its internal development of country-local websites, email campaigns, and other marketing assets.
Results: Reduced time-to-market + benefits to diverse teams
Reduced the time-to-market and avoided costs of iterative translation
Regional marketing teams trusted the quality of messaging before its translation, enabling quick post-translation quality checks
Designers adopted pseudo-translation to estimate the geographic footprint of copy in the target language, reducing re-designs
Developers identified areas in which market specific data could be handled programmatically (e.g., pricing, in-market specific offerings)
Legal teams introduced adaptation before translation to ensure that in-country legal requirements, often quite complex, were addressed in the source language in each market
Benefits for software, cyber, and other firms operating globally
The same Adaptation + Translation = Localization model can benefit the expansive localization efforts of any firm that operates in many locations around the world. The more regions and languages that are in play, the more important it can be to adopt the most effective and efficient process.