Global Content Strategy: Don't Get Lost in Translation

Melinda Belcher
Melinda BelcherBrand Strategist and Content Experience Designer
Global Content Strategy 
Don’t Get Lost in Translation 
November 18, 2014 
!PRESENTED BY! 
Melinda Flores! 
Associate Director, Content Strategy! 
VSA Partners
@melindarox 2 
Agenda 
• Big in Japan: the Japanese digital experience 
• Defining global content strategy 
• Taking your content on the road 
• Don’t get lost in translation: Best practices 
• The case for localization 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
@melindarox 3 
Big in Japan 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Does this baby make me look fat? 
@melindarox 4 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
@melindarox 5 
Shopping online in Japan 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
“The coordinates are easy at longish length!” 
@melindarox 6 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Rakuten Global Market site 
@melindarox 7 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Content overload? Not in Japan. 
@melindarox 8 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Why is the Japanese experience so different? 
• Character comfort 
• Need for a high degree of information and assurance 
• Mobile, mobile, mobile 
• Lack of hierarchical contrast 
• Low adoption of new programming languages 
http://randomwire.com/why-japanese-web- 
design-is-so-different/ 
@melindarox 9 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Product pages are packed with information 
@melindarox 10 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Simplified English product page 
@melindarox 11 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
Simplified English product page, 6 months ago 
@melindarox 12 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
@melindarox 
Go global or go home 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 13
What is global content strategy? 
The planning, creation and management of content, in terms of: 
@melindarox 
….around the world 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 14 
Workflow 
Governance 
Structure 
Substance 
People 
Work 
Global content strategy is concerned with scaling content for global markets ! 
in a way that is efficient, consistent, relevant and sustainable.
The benefits of a global content strategy 
• Tell a consistently compelling story about your offering, ! 
no matter where audiences find you 
• Make sure your content is ready to scale for global markets 
• Streamline translation and publication workflows to ! 
save money and time 
• Improve content reach and performance 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 15
Taking your content on the road 
• Less is more (cheaper and faster to translate!) 
• Replace idioms and obscure language with common 
expressions 
• Adhere strictly to English grammar rules 
• Be exceptionally clear, e.g., use nouns with the words ! 
this, that, these, and those 
• Be aware of visual cues that may be irrelevant or even 
offensive in other cultures 
• Create a corporate glossary (!!!) 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 16
Why a corporate glossary? 
• Safeguards your product and company branding 
• Preserves your company trademarks, service 
marks, copyrights, and so on 
• Ensures that everyone in your organization uses the 
same terminology to describe the same things 
• Makes your content easier to read for people of all 
reading levels 
• Lowers the price and time it takes to translate the 
content into multiple languages 
• Helps to ensure the quality and consistency of 
the translations 
http://www.contentrules.com/blog/simple-rule-3-real-editors-dont-do- 
it-without-a-terminology-manager/ 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 17
Translation: Best practices 
• Use native-speaking translators who are ideally 
based in the target country for translations (at least ! 
1 person to translate and another for QA) 
• Find translators who are subject matter experts 
and skilled at marketing translations, whenever 
possible, to nail style and tone 
• Create separate experiences for each country ! 
(not language) and don’t forget about differences 
among dialects—there are significant differences 
between French Canadian and the language spoken ! 
in France 
• Store and track all translations in an owned 
terminology database to save time and money 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 18
Translation vs. localization vs. transcreation 
Translation 
Localization 
Transcreation 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 19 
Content 
No change (direct 
translation of 
existing content) 
May be altered to be more 
culturally appropriate/ 
relevant 
New content may be 
developed to suit local needs 
Design 
No change (same 
images) 
May be altered to be more 
culturally appropriate/ 
relevant 
Change to suit new content/ 
local needs 
UX 
No change (same 
layout) 
May be altered slightly as 
required by content needs 
Change to suit new content/ 
local needs 
Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/IntelligentContent/ 
planning-your-globalcontentstrategyswisher
Global UX: Design and Research in a Connected World, 
Szuc/Quesenbery 
@melindarox 
The case for localization 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 20
@melindarox 
Lost in translation 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 21
Localization means addressing user needs 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 22
@melindarox 
Localization win or fail? 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 23
Global markets require localized, 
culturally relevant content 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 24
Additional Global Content Strategy resources 
• Contentrules.com and anything written by Val Swisher on 
Slideshare—she knows her stuff! 
• Milengo.com global content strategy blog 
• Global UX: Design and Research in a Connected World, 
Szuc/Quesenbery 
@melindarox 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 25
@melindarox 
Questions? 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 26
@melindarox 
Thank you! 
GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 27
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Global Content Strategy: Don't Get Lost in Translation

  • 1. Global Content Strategy Don’t Get Lost in Translation November 18, 2014 !PRESENTED BY! Melinda Flores! Associate Director, Content Strategy! VSA Partners
  • 2. @melindarox 2 Agenda • Big in Japan: the Japanese digital experience • Defining global content strategy • Taking your content on the road • Don’t get lost in translation: Best practices • The case for localization GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 3. @melindarox 3 Big in Japan GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 4. Does this baby make me look fat? @melindarox 4 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 5. @melindarox 5 Shopping online in Japan GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 6. “The coordinates are easy at longish length!” @melindarox 6 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 7. Rakuten Global Market site @melindarox 7 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 8. Content overload? Not in Japan. @melindarox 8 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 9. Why is the Japanese experience so different? • Character comfort • Need for a high degree of information and assurance • Mobile, mobile, mobile • Lack of hierarchical contrast • Low adoption of new programming languages http://randomwire.com/why-japanese-web- design-is-so-different/ @melindarox 9 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 10. Product pages are packed with information @melindarox 10 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 11. Simplified English product page @melindarox 11 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 12. Simplified English product page, 6 months ago @melindarox 12 GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS
  • 13. @melindarox Go global or go home GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 13
  • 14. What is global content strategy? The planning, creation and management of content, in terms of: @melindarox ….around the world GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 14 Workflow Governance Structure Substance People Work Global content strategy is concerned with scaling content for global markets ! in a way that is efficient, consistent, relevant and sustainable.
  • 15. The benefits of a global content strategy • Tell a consistently compelling story about your offering, ! no matter where audiences find you • Make sure your content is ready to scale for global markets • Streamline translation and publication workflows to ! save money and time • Improve content reach and performance @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 15
  • 16. Taking your content on the road • Less is more (cheaper and faster to translate!) • Replace idioms and obscure language with common expressions • Adhere strictly to English grammar rules • Be exceptionally clear, e.g., use nouns with the words ! this, that, these, and those • Be aware of visual cues that may be irrelevant or even offensive in other cultures • Create a corporate glossary (!!!) @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 16
  • 17. Why a corporate glossary? • Safeguards your product and company branding • Preserves your company trademarks, service marks, copyrights, and so on • Ensures that everyone in your organization uses the same terminology to describe the same things • Makes your content easier to read for people of all reading levels • Lowers the price and time it takes to translate the content into multiple languages • Helps to ensure the quality and consistency of the translations http://www.contentrules.com/blog/simple-rule-3-real-editors-dont-do- it-without-a-terminology-manager/ @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 17
  • 18. Translation: Best practices • Use native-speaking translators who are ideally based in the target country for translations (at least ! 1 person to translate and another for QA) • Find translators who are subject matter experts and skilled at marketing translations, whenever possible, to nail style and tone • Create separate experiences for each country ! (not language) and don’t forget about differences among dialects—there are significant differences between French Canadian and the language spoken ! in France • Store and track all translations in an owned terminology database to save time and money @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 18
  • 19. Translation vs. localization vs. transcreation Translation Localization Transcreation @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 19 Content No change (direct translation of existing content) May be altered to be more culturally appropriate/ relevant New content may be developed to suit local needs Design No change (same images) May be altered to be more culturally appropriate/ relevant Change to suit new content/ local needs UX No change (same layout) May be altered slightly as required by content needs Change to suit new content/ local needs Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/IntelligentContent/ planning-your-globalcontentstrategyswisher
  • 20. Global UX: Design and Research in a Connected World, Szuc/Quesenbery @melindarox The case for localization GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 20
  • 21. @melindarox Lost in translation GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 21
  • 22. Localization means addressing user needs @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 22
  • 23. @melindarox Localization win or fail? GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 23
  • 24. Global markets require localized, culturally relevant content @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 24
  • 25. Additional Global Content Strategy resources • Contentrules.com and anything written by Val Swisher on Slideshare—she knows her stuff! • Milengo.com global content strategy blog • Global UX: Design and Research in a Connected World, Szuc/Quesenbery @melindarox GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 25
  • 26. @melindarox Questions? GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 26
  • 27. @melindarox Thank you! GLOBAL CONTENT STRATEGY / NOVEMBER 18 2014 / VSA PARTNERS 27