Understanding Localization: Expanding Your Brand Internationally (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: If you're a business owner looking to expand your brand abroad, you probably came across the term localization. Today, we'll help you understand what this process entails, the steps it requires, and the different elements involved. First things first, what is localization? Simply put, localization, abbreviated L10N, is the process of taking a product and adapting it so it can appeal to a new region that oftentimes speaks a different language than the original. This process takes into account legal requirements, formatting stipulations, and the cultural nuances of the new market, besides mere language translation. It is a process much larger than language translation, as the goal is to make the new international customers feel like the product was originally designed for them. Localization is typically performed for video games, movies, software, and apps. But this process can and should happen every time a business is looking to appeal to an international clientele, even if we're talking about donuts. If you go to a Dunkin' Donuts in Indonesia, you'll find flavors of donuts sprinkled with parmesan cheese, while in China, pork and seaweed donuts are a common delicacy. In Latin America, you'll find many dulce de leche donuts, and in the Middle East, many date donuts. All of this? Localization. And if you've ever traveled and found familiar stores, you probably came across it. The process of digital localization is long but straightforward. The target market is analyzed, the source content is examined and pulled out for adaptation, the content is translated and proofread, and several tests are run to make sure the layout, format, and words are cohesive and working properly. If we go back to our video game example, some other elements might be added to the mix, such as voiceovers in the new language, image and graphics adaptation that will fit the new culture, translation of the script of the game to be mindful of regional taboos, and even user manuals and readme files for legal aspects. Now, who is involved in this process? A proper localization team should have at least one localization manager responsible for supervising the process, managing the team, setting deadlines, and communicating effectively with the client. For products where the original market and the target market have very different cultures and therefore require a more complex adaptation, marketing specialists might be involved for assessing the target audience's preferences and expectations and guiding the design team for best practices. Of course, native tongue linguists will be involved in the process. And finally, a development and design team will be key to making sure everything runs and looks the way it's supposed to. Depending on the product and the complexity of the project, localization can take from months to years. And this is all before we speak about marketing your product and selling it to your new audience abroad, which is a whole other animal. But don't despair. At Date Translations, we offer all of these services in every single language. And we're available for you 24-7. So contact us today at datetranslations.com and get ready to go global.