How To Stay On Message As Brands Go Global!
In this guest post, co-founder of Storyation, Lauren Quaintance (pictured below), says more and more brands want to create global content that isn’t lost in translation. Here’s some lessons Storyation learnt from working with Tourism Australia and health fund Bupa…
Whether you’re in Toronto or Tokyo you’ll see a Starbucks – or an Apple Store – and yet, despite the much-hyped spread of globalisation, the world is not actually a completely homogenous place. Disneyland, for example, may be a quintessentially American brand, but its international theme parks have been tweaked to reflect local culture. Hong Kong Disneyland has been built to consider feng shui; Paris Disneyland celebrates European heroes and at Shanghai Disneyland Mickey Mouse is dressed in a traditional red Tang Chinese suit.
It may seem tokenistic to put a cartoon mouse in a red silk jacket, but when global brands don’t consider local nuances they risk immediately alienating their audiences. There’s nothing more jarring than reading or watching content that uses phrases that are foreign or unfamiliar to you. (Are you sitting on a couch, a sofa, a davenport, a chesterfield right now?)
More and more my content agency Storyation is being asked to work with global brands like health and care company Bupa – or brands that want to talk to global audiences like Tourism Australia – to help them to understand how they can create content that transcends national boundaries without getting lost in translation. In essence these brands want to be “glocal” – global and local at the same time – because the reality is no-one can afford to only be producing market-specific content, and a global approach delivers real economies of scale.
So what do you need to consider when producing content for multiple markets around the world?
Basic Hygiene
At its most fundamental localising content means making sure that the spelling, currency and expressions used are native to the market you are speaking to. As any Australian will tell you all those ‘z’ words (organize/analyze/localize) raise an immediate red flag that the content you are reading has been imported from the US in the same way way that words like “pop” or “soda” feel so wrong.
Cultural Considerations
Beyond these technical changes there are bigger cultural considerations that might require you to adjust your content between markets. During a project to localise content for eight markets for Tourism Australia we learned that travellers in India largely don’t like to swim on holiday so coastal content needed to be changed to emphasise experiences they could have near the water. Equally when thinking about dietary content for Bupa we needed to consider the fact that breakfast in Spain might mean pan con mate (tomato spread on toast) while in China it is more likely to be congee (a mild-flavoured rice porridge.)
Geo-Specific Needs
With the best will in the world we cannot always anticipate the differences in trends or hot topics between regions, so there will always be a role for locally-produced content. For example, for Bupa, a winter flu epidemic in the UK – or an outbreak of bird flu in China – will mean those places have entirely unique content needs.
Regulatory Requirements
There are, of course, different laws and governmental guidelines in different countries so it’s important to consider how this might impact your content. For Bupa for example, when creating content about pregnancy we need to understand the dramatic differences in official health advice offered to pregnant women about how much alcohol, caffeine and sushi they should consume.
Evocative Imagery
It would be a mistake to say that there aren’t images that can’t be shared between markets. Of course we’re all able to access fairly high quality stock imagery but there is a genuine need for audiences to see themselves (and their way of life) reflected in imagery. Audiences in the UK who are in the middle of dreary British winter are unlikely to thank you for showing them a photo of people exercising on sunny Bondi Beach to illustrate a healthy living story.
Writing for Translation
There is an art to creating written (and spoken) content that is easily translated. Writing in International English means avoiding local vernacular and figures of speech as well as using short sentences that don’t have multiple sub-clauses to make it easy for translators.
Use Native Keywords
Just as translating content alone is not enough, you need to do more than translate keywords into foreign languages. Instead work with native speakers to understand how keywords are influenced by local culture.
All of which is to say that a global content strategy is not as easy as creating content centrally, translating it and then publishing in multiple markets. Creating “glocal” content is at times challenging but if brands set clear rules for localisation they can achieve a scalable and repeatable approach to creating content across global markets.
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.