Text localisation and cultural adaptation
What is localisation and cultural adaptation?
Localisation is our linguistic service involving the translation or revision of existing translations, ensuring that the target language text is adapted to the culture of the target audience and ready for effective use on the chosen platform for its dissemination, whether it’s a website, app, computer program, video or any other transmission tool. In the field of international communication, localisation refers to the practices of adapting a message to fit the cultural standards of the target audience.
For a written text, this involves not only translating it into the target market’s language but also revising the content from a local perspective to maximise its effectiveness. Localisation services are particularly useful in advertising, promotional, informative and teaching material, where the goal is to make the content more appealing and accessible to the local culture.
Sometimes localisation of a text is crucial, such as in translating user interfaces for various versions of software applications. In these cases, the various user-machine interaction fields and proper software operation depend on the translator’s careful localisation efforts, ensuring that commands are correctly interpreted and contextualised for foreign users.
Localisation and adaptation: our work process
Localisation is a tool that adapts communication to the culture and technological standards of a foreign market. It requires technical and linguistic expertise and a profound understanding of the foreign target audience.
Our service includes the following phases:
Defining a style guide agreed with the client
This guide sets out the style and criteria for translation uniformity, providing context, text function and other terminological aspects, such as the preferred register, glossary, translation methods for abbreviations and units of measurement.
Linguistic intelligence
In an initial phase , all necessary linguistic and cultural information for the performance of the service is gathered through an analysis of the text’s destination area , using information retrieval systems conducted by our experts in communication and cultural mediation.
Translation
Once all documentation and project-specific information are collected, our specialist native-speaking translators proceed with the translation, adhering to the standards set by UNI EN 9001, UNI EN 15038 and ISO 17.100 quality certifications.
Revision and cultural adaptation
Following translation, the text undergoes meticulous editing by international communication experts who re-read the text, correct it and optimise the message to meet the target audience’s textual and graphical demands. Adapting text according to the cultural norms of the target audience maximizes message effectiveness and ensures efficient Customer Experience Management (CEM) processes.
Graphics
Graphics and layout of the translated documents.
Testing
Testing content usability using the communication tool chosen by the client (websites, apps, programs, videos, etc.).
What aspects do we consider for an effective text localisation and adaptation?
The localisation service provided by SMG consists of two phases: the first involves the translation of the documents by our native-speaking translators. Once the translation is complete, it is subjected to careful editing by our international communication experts who improve the effectiveness of the message according to the requirements of the audience.
During the text localisation process, our team takes into considation many linguistic and non-linguistic content-related aspects, including:
- Concept localisation: identifying the main themes and how they are address. In accordance with the client’s requirements, the team will make appropriate adaptations if texts contain references to topics that could potentially be sensitive to or discriminatory in the target country or culture.
- Form localisation: determining stylistic choices that best suit the message’s purpose for engaging the audience, including considerations such as geographical area, sex, age, average cultural level, interests, etc., alongside language.
- Terminology localisation: developing a uniform technical lexicon across all the client’s documents, mindful of variations in local legislation and official terminology databases of international standards.
- Graphic localisation: adapting non-linguistic elements, such as colour choices, or the use of specific images, which can significantly impact whether a message is poorly received or exceptionally effective.
The importance of effective localisation
Localisation requires a faithful translation as a starting point, followed by an evaluation of proposed changes by linguists and communication experts from both the client and our company.
Effective localisation plays a decisive role in international sales strategies, particularly when managing texts in multiple languages where it is essential that you keep information for external publication under control. Any multinational company entity targeting foreign markets can attest to the critical nature of management multinational content; you only have to think about the differences in regulations between countries, which often require careful terminological adjustments.
Operating as a provider of translation and consultancy services for businesses that handle highly critical multilingual documents, SMG utilises specialised tools for managing corporate content. This enables us to streamline and optimise storage, retrieval, comparison and monitoring of data. For further details, you can visit our Project Management page.
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