Welcome back to the second half of our two-part article on successfully translating a marketing campaign for a new cultural market. Last time we talked about historic translation mistakes made by big brands in the past and the importance of translation by people who understand how your message will be received. Let’s pick up at adapting to the new culture, not just the language.

Knowing What’s Cool in Your New Market

Let’s say you are able to accurately translate not just your words but also your intended meaning into the new language. Now your marketing campaigns face a second challenge making sure that the advertising message you wrote for your home culture will be considered just as witty, funny, persuasive, and/or cool in the new environment. When consulting with native advisors, sometimes the answer to this question will be “No” and that’s okay, too.

Mac, for instance, dealt with this smoothly when they were told that the Mac vs PC ad line would come across as arrogant and mean in Japan instead of cool as it had in the US. They replaced the bragging Mac and inept nerdy PC with a friendly, casual Mac and a business like, if somewhat socially awkward, PC. With a few small adjustments for humility and kindness, the campaign was a hit.

How to Navigate the Cultural Transition

The key to successfully translating your entire marketing campaign and brand image to a new culture is to work with people who really understand it. Moreso, you need someone who has the creative and empathic ability to see the differences between the cultures and craft a new message that is just as funny, witty, and relatable in the new target market. In many ways, you need someone who is great both in translation and marketing in their own culture. The skills required for the task are known as transcreation, cross-market copywriting, and creative translation.

Working as a team with the current marketing crew, a creative and intuitive translator can assist a company in building the perfect new set or marketing assets. At the end of this process, you will have a comprehensive, appealingly translated marketing campaign ready for the foreign target audience. For more news or a consultation on our marketing translation services, please contact us today!