The Importance of Quality Translations for the Corporate Universe.

With the arrival of a new year and many entrepreneurs and managers focused on company strategic planning, why not have a chat about the importance of quality translation for the corporate universe?

Nowadays, we hear more and more about “internationalization” - which is no more than brands and businesses expanding into new markets and new countries- , but why is it so popular now?

Before large companies such as Coca-Cola, GE, and Walmart embarked on their “commercial colonization” many years ago, one of the challenges inherent to their project was how to communicate with their new target audience, how to speak the language of their new consumers clearly without sounding like a foreigner.

Throughout the years, the internationalization process has ceased to be a concern exclusive to large companies and major global brands, and has also become part of the day-to-day activities of small and medium-sized companies in search of new markets. These are companies which, although they do not have Coca-Cola’s structure, for example, still see internationalization as an opportunity for growth and for generating profits.

But why do many of them end up neglecting one of the challenges large companies face (but never neglect), which is to speak the language of their customers with a clear sense of knowledge? Why do big companies see translation as an investment, but small and medium-sized companies see it as a cost, therefore not including investments in translation in their strategic planning or, in some cases, choose to use machine translations or even providing bilingual employees with the task of translating, which goes beyond their professional scope/abilities, as a “deceptive” way of reducing costs?

Just like large companies, SMEs need to think about the importance of quality translations. After all, what is at stake goes far beyond words; it encompasses a company’s reputation, image, and credibility.

How does your company want to present itself to international customers?

What image does it want to convey?

People still prefer to do business in their native tongue even if they speak other languages, but that is not usually what they find. Wouldn’t that set your company apart in the market?

By transmitting your message in the language of the customers you or your company are looking for, your customer engagement improves, generating better relationships, and consequently, trust. Speaking and understanding your client’s culture is very important, and when we talk about internationalization, we must consider translation carefully and cautiously.

A poor-quality translation is more likely not to generate the expected result, but losses instead. Have you ever stopped to think about how many big global brands had to take advertisements off-air or even products out of circulation due to translation errors? Due to translations that only considered the words, but not the local culture?

Your company will have better chances of success if it takes into consideration the specific needs of your target market. After all, the global corporate universe that we have today requires that we think about strategies from every possible angle, including a cultural one. Therefore, translations should be part of the strategic plan for companies that already operate, or that are in the process of operating, with new markets.

Need a quality translation? Contact us!