think global, act global, go global

@billswallow #LavaCon

Bill Swallow @billswallow #LavaCon

Think global, act global, go global

Bill Swallow

Director of Operations, Scriptorium

Localization Content strategy Implementation

@billswallow


About the presenter


Going global…

• Not a simple decision

• Language differences

• Cultural differences

• Regulatory differences


Going global…

Consumer preferences:

• 72.1% browse the web in their own language

• 72.4% are more likely to buy a product in their own language

• 56.2% said that language is more important than price

Source: Common Sense Advisory


Going global…

It cannot be an afterthought.


Going global…


Chasing savings

Flickr: kenteegardin

Paying too much for problematic translations that take too long to produce


Transcreation - bullet and image



Determining value

• Cost

• Quality

• Time


Determining value


True value = time to market

• Delays don’t produce revenue

• Translation is a legal requirement in some markets

• “Your language comes later”


True value = time to market


Bridging the gap

• Clear understanding of what “global” means

• Inter-departmental collaboration

• Willingness to invest in skills and solutions


Bridging the gap

• Extent of localization

• Type of translation

• Level of cultural fit required

• Relative time to market


What does “global” mean to you?

• Shared knowledge

• Central, maintained specifications

• Centralized/controlled source and terminology

• Content reuse

• Co-authoring


Collaboration is key

• Infrastructure

• Workflows

• Skills training

• Information and product architecture

• Product and content development


Willingness to invest


Localization strategy

• Technical content

• Product

• Marketing

• Sales

• Support



• Show the value

• Get buy-in from the top

• Choose translation approaches wisely

• Internationalize everything

• Own your translation memory

• Review and test heavily

• Govern your strategy well



Transcreation - bullet and image



Begin at the end

Flickr: Andrew_D_Hurley


Audience first

eremedia.com: Siofra Pratt


Get buy-in from the top

• All strategies need a champion or executive sponsor

• Increases participation from all groups

• Makes it easier to cut through the noise


Get buy-in from the top


Internationalize everything

Flickr: liquene

• Software

• Hardware labels

• Images

• Templates and transforms

• Terminology

• Style guides




One size does not fit all

Flickr: sfllaw

• Eliminate extra work

• Quickly identify and correct problem areas in design

• Expedite production




Choose wisely…

• Human translation

• Machine translation

• Transcreation


Choose your method wisely…

The use of machine

translation is

increasing


Wikimedia: D J Shin


Human versus machine

• Humans understand tone, style, and nuance.

• Machines excel at terminology and predictable language.


Human versus machine


Transcreation

Flickr: wolfgangstaudt

• Ideal for custom messaging

• Requires significant planning

• Planning happens during source language planning

• Highly effective, but very expensive


Transcreation

• Partner with local market experts

• Convey intent and approach

• Collaborate on targeted messaging

• Always test locally before deploying


Transcreation


Translation workflows

Flickr: ironypoisoning

• Waterfall

• Parallel

• Agile/iterative


Translation workflows


Waterfall


Parallel


Agile/iterative

• The type of translation informs content and product design

• The type of workflow informs project and release schedules

• Find the best combination to maximize value

• Keep corporate culture in mind


Your choices matter


Own your translation memory

• It’s your intellectual property

• Supply it to all translators

• Review and clean it regularly

• You have ultimate control over translation quality


Own your translation memory


Only work with translation providers

who give you full rights over translations and translation memory.


Review and testing

Flickr: us7thfleet

• Same level of testing as with source

• Catch and correct usability issues

• You may need to revisit the source

• Same level of quality for all


Review and testing


Governance

Flickr: steakpinball

• Document all decisions, agreements, and responsibilities thoroughly

• Define and communicate standards

• Clearly set expectations

• Build accountability into all phases

• Take immediate corrective action


Governance

@billswallow #LavaConBill Swallow

Questions?

Localization strategy: Your key to global marketshttp://www.scriptorium.com/2017/05/localization-strategy-your-key-to-global-markets/

Speak to Global Customers in Their Own Languagehttps://hbr.org/2012/08/speak-to-global-customers-in-t

Translation Memory is the translator's Intellectual Propertyhttp://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/287990-translation_memory_tm_is_the_translators_intellectual_property_ip.html

Localization value blog series http://www.scriptorium.com/tag/localization-value/

XML business case calculator http://www.scriptorium.com/services/xml-business-case-calculator/


Resources

http://www.scriptorium.com/2017/05/localization-strategy-your-key-to-global-markets/

https://hbr.org/2012/08/speak-to-global-customers-in-t

http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/287990-translation_memory_tm_is_the_translators_intellectual_property_ip.html

http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/287990-translation_memory_tm_is_the_translators_intellectual_property_ip.html

http://www.scriptorium.com/tag/localization-value/

http://www.scriptorium.com/services/xml-business-case-calculator/

think global, act global, go global

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