Le Tour, Localization and Sales

The Tour de France 2017 is well underway, and, as an avid cyclist, a recent article in Slator spotlighting the language localization efforts of the Trek Bicycle Corporation grabbed my attention.

Localization is the process of making your company’s web site, product information, online content, software, marketing materials and more available in different languages. It also ensures that the localized content is culturally sensitive to that target audience.  For example, the United States, Great Britain and Australia all share the common language of English, but each has nuanced differences and phrasing that could alter the meaning of translations and actual brand names (sometimes significantly) in different regions. In addition, localization is more than just translations.  For instance, some African countries prefer that product labels actually show what is in the package, while some Asia Pacific nations do not allow in-app purchases, which is significant when localizing apps, video games and software.

The Slator piece by Eden Estopace spotlights how Trek localized its content into 19 languages and 33 locales with a focus on the European market. This speaks to how the same language can be localized to different, segmented audiences, and how localization can be applied worldwide.

From a marketing perspective, the piece also serves as an interesting case study for how localizing language integrates with SEO, SEM and content marketing, as well as sales cycles (no pun intended).

To remain competitive, B2C companies must engage their customers in ways that are instantly relatable, relevant and meaningful. At the same time, B2B companies must showcase their services, experience and competitiveness to potential partners with content that matches the values, cultural-competencies and needs of their end users.  Localization is the common connection to both.

CETRA Ireland Ltd, which celebrated its fifth anniversary earlier this year, specializes in providing globalization and localization services in over 200 languages. The company is directed by Adrian Wall, a localization specialist, and is strategically located near the University of Limerick’s Localisation Research Center.

Blog Author:

Rich Ochab
Proposal Manager
CETRA