introduction to localisation
DESCRIPTION
The world is now becoming a global market for an ever-increasing and varied number of companies with a common aim: to sell their products to as many consumers as possible. However, the globalization of the market also means that companies nowadays are addressing an incredibly varied target, with many different languages and, more importantly, cultures.TRANSCRIPT
CrossCross--cultural Digital Marketing cultural Digital Marketing in the Age of Globalizationin the Age of Globalization
Universidade do Algarve
Faro, Portugal
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Today we are going to talk about...
• Software localisation & internationalisation
• Website localisation
• Advertising localisation
Bem-vindos!
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AN INTRODUCTION TO SOFTWARE LOCALISATION
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Key Concepts
• Software Localisation:
– Linguistic and cultural adaptation of a software product to a specific local market.
– Part of the process which involves carrying out the modifications for that specific local version.
• MS Windows-based Software Product:
– Product designed to be run on a machine that uses MS Windows as the operating system.
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Elements: Text
Text in the menus, dialog boxes and strings
needs to be translated into the local language
(or language variant).
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Elements: Text
Translation should be complete.
The software should support all the characters of the
target language.
Dialog boxes and buttons should be large enough for
the translated text.
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Elements: Images
Same icons for all versions
Avoid text in icons or images
Avoid cultural metaphors in icons or images
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Functional Elements
Some functions of the program may need to be adapted to local cultural standards Local date and time formats
Local currency
Local paper standard size (for printing options)
Control and hotkeys
Etc.
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Money Format
Currency Symbols
Before ($40.74)
After (40,74$)
Mixed (40$74)
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Data Formats
• Percentage Format–10%
–10 %
• Measurements / Units
• Telephone Number Format–Area Codes
–International Country Calling Codes
–International Call Prefix
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Data Formats
Address Formats Street Address
Street Name + House/Building Number House/Building Number + Street Name
City and Postal Code Postal Code + City Name City Name + Province Abbreviation + Postal Code
Personal Names John Smith
Suzuki Ichiro
Personal Titles Mr. Smith
Sato-san
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Online Help
• Text, screenshots, Table Of Contents and index, training videos, animations, etc.
• Symmetry between localised software and online help item names
• Technical similarities with website localisation projects
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Collateral Material
Localisation does not just involve the software product, packaging and manuals will often need to be adapted also
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Summary
• In each localised version of a software application there is work from engineers, language professionals, cultural consultants, lawyers, marketing specialists and many others.
• Software applications are complex products. Localising them requires a multi-perspective approach.
• Failure to foresee the differences between the source and target locales may have catastrophic consequences.
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STEPS IN A SOFTWARE LOCALISATION PROJECT
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Contents
• Localisation for Windows-based applications
– Development / Internationalisation
– Localising GUI (Graphical User Interface)
• Terminology
• Integrating translation memory tools (Translating)
• Localising icons and functionality
– Localising Online Help
– Testing
• Localisation in other platforms
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Development/ Internationalisation
• Internationalisation (I18N)
• Aims:
– Keep a smooth workflow by foreseeing the problems of localisation
– Save time and money in the localisation process
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Localisation (L10N)
• Fixing terminology for the target language
– One-to-one correspondence
– Bilingual glossaries
– To be used by technical writers and translators
– Included in the localisation kits
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L10N of the Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Carrying out the localisation tasks planned during the Internationalisation stage
• Translation of the GUI
–Menus, dialog boxes, strings
• Adapting to local formats
–Currency, date and time formats, etc.
• Localising the functionality
–Hotkeys, specific features, etc.
• Localising the Online Help
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Translation Tools in L10N
– Advantages of using professional Translation tools:
• Reuse of previous translations
• Filters and word counters
• Language-management features (spellcheckers, search and replace, etc.)
• Integrate terminology in translation workflow
• Etc.
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TM Tools in L10N
Translation
environment
Suggestion by
TM Tool
DLL in
string view
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Online Help
Localising the Online Help
After localising the GUI
Exact references to the GUI
Screenshots
Mirroring in bidirectional languages
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Testing
• Localisation as testing
• Functional testing
– Hotkeys, common and local functions, etc.
• Linguistic testing
– Text quality, terminology, completion, etc. (Spellcheckers, terminology checkers, comparison tools, etc.)
• Cosmetic testing
– Clipped text, menu length, window size, etc. (Catalyst, Passolo, etc.)
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Other Platforms
Localisation for other platforms
Mac OS (AppleGlot)
Unix (PO editors)
Java
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PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF SOFTWARE LOCALISATION
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Contents
• Practical Aspects of Software Localisation
• Linguistic challenges
– Language categories
– TM tools
– Concatenated strings and special characters
• Accelerators
– Hotkeys
– Function/Controll keys
• Minimising problems
– Query sheets
– Testing tools
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Linguistic Challenges
“Open”• Verb (“abrir”)
• Adjective (“abierto”)
“View” • Verb (“ver”)
• Noun (“vista”)
• “Test port” • Verb + Noun (“comprobar
puerto”)
• Noun + Noun (“puerto de
comprobación”)
• TM Tools • Check context
Language Categories
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Linguistic Challenges
Special Characters and Concatenations
…
\t
\n
%1
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Accelerators
Hotkeys
Ampersand
Submenu / dialog box
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Minimising Problems
Communication - Query sheets
Quality of the original software
Professional, experienced translators
Communication (query sheets)
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Minimising Problems
Linguistic testing • Spellcheckers
• Terminology checkers
QA checkers• Validate Expert
Testing Tools
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LOCALISATION OF TECHNICALDOCUMENTATION
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Contents
• Documentation
• Introduction to the localisation of content
• Help Systems
– Types of Help files
– Elements of Help files
• Multimedia in documentation
– Flash animations, movies, wizards, images
– Others
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Content Localisation pre-requisites
• Localised software must be available
• Language of source document must be standard and consistent
• All regional references should be removed
• Images used must be culturally neutral
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Help Systems
• Types of Help Files
– WinHelp
– HTML Help
– Web-based help files
– Other formats (PDF, etc..)
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Elements of Help Files
Contents:
List of topics, description of
processes etc.
Index:
List of keywords contained in the help
file.
Search:
Allows user defined searches of help
system
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Multimedia in Documentation
• Tutorials, Computer Based Training, demos, etc
• Flash animations
• Retrieve text from external files
• Movies
• Avoid dubbing
• Images
• Use layers
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Other Support Materials
• Quick Start Guide
• Quick Installation Guide
• Printed manuals
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Summary
Software documentation
– Help for localised software
– Technical challenges due to languages
• Character representation, sorting, directionality
– Target cultures
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INTRODUCTION TO WEBSITE LOCALISATION
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Contents
1. Why localise websites ?
2. Some basic concepts
3. Structure of multilingual websites
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Why Localise Websites? (I)
• Website localisation: Process of adapting it to the requirements (linguistic, functional and cultural) of the target market.
– One of the main ways of communicating with the target audience
– Key element to enter new markets
– Users more likely to purchase from a site in their language (IDC)
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Why Localise Websites?(II)
• Level of localisation: Total vs. partial localisation
• Global vs. local content
• Language tiers
• Return on investment (ROI)
– Cost savings
– Increased revenue opportunities
– User satisfaction
– Other benefits: brand consistency, trust in local markets
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Some Basic Concepts
Server-client architecture
URL and domains: http://www.globalpropaganda.com/
Internationalised domain names (IDN): http://www.公表.com http://www.schröder.de
Website vs. webpage
Static vs. dynamic
Requests
Data Transfer
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Structure of Multilingual Websites
• Files
• Folders
• Content Management Systems
• Structure
– Central core
– Local markets
• Storing of localised versions:
– All in same location
– Certain languages locally
– All locally
• Access to localised versions:
– Link in form of a flag or language locale on the main webpage
– Different URLs for different locale pages
– Web gateway to configure a language and country profile that will be stored as a cookie
– Operating System language settings
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LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF WEBSITELOCALISATION
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Contents
1. Linguistic issues
a. Terminology Management
b. Style Guidelines
2. Localisation Issues
a. Technicalities
– Layout
– Date Format
– Time Format
– Address Format
– Forms
b. Cultural Aspects
1. Legal Aspects
2. Tradition
3. Cultural Issues and Symbols
4. Local Content
5. Other Aspects
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Linguistic Issues
1. Translations and revisions by native speakers
2. Terminology Management
3. Locales
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Linguistic Issues
4. Style guidelines: slang, jargon, idioms, colloquialisms
5. Appropriate style
6. Country-specific content
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Appropriate Formats
Appropriate formats for:
Number, time, currency and measurements
Rendering, sorting, spelling, hyphenation
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Localisation Issues
political correctnessgestures
habits
colours
values
symbols
forms
political
correctness
sounds
traditions
Date, time, number address
formats
humour
fashion
gestures
layout
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Technicalities
• Layout and Format
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Forms
• Time and Calendar Formats• Date Formats
• Address Formats• Number Formats
• Currency and Measurements
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Cultural Issues
References and Symbols
Tradition and Habits
Folklore
Religion
History
Images
Colours
Legal aspects
Values
Humour
Fashion
Gestures
Sounds and Songs
Political Correctness
etc.
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TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF WEBSITE LOCALISATION
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Files for Localisation
• Static websites:
– Html
– Static and dynamic graphics: jpg, gif, tif, swf
– Linked files: pdf, doc, exe etc.
• Dynamic websites:
– Elements of a static website plus:
• Database
• Embedded scripts: php, asp, hsw, java, js, xsl…
• Display languages: html, xml
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HTML (I)
• Html: Hypertext Markup Language
• Current version: Html 4.01 (http://www.w3c.com)
• Css: Cascading Style Sheet
• Html Components:
– Tags
• There are opening tags and closing tags– Opening tag:
– Symbol <– Name of the tag, for instance html– Symbol >– <html>
– Closing tag:– Symbol <– Slash /– Name of the tag, for instance html– Symbol >– </html>
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HTML (II)
• Tags are used to:
– Describe contents, for instance titles, paragraphs, tables: opening and closing tag
–<title>…</title>
– Add elements: to add graphics, links, new lines: a unique opening tag–<img>
• Elements: formed by predefined tags
– <title>…</title>
• Attributes: establish the additional characteristics of an element. Always between “”.
– <img src=“tilp.jpg">
• Entities: for characters not included in ASCII
– &, €, Ü & € Ü
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HTML (III)
<html>
<head>
<title>My first web page </title>
</head>
<body>
This is my first web page. How will all this end up?
</body>
</html>
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Special Localisation Issues (I)
• Head and Body
– External Tags <p> </p>
– Internal Tags <br> <b></b>
– Tags with translatable attributes
• <img src="/image" alt="This text should be translated">
• Metadata: <meta>–<META name="Author" content=“Christopher Columbus">–<META name=“keywords” lang=“en-us” content=“website
localisation, tags, code”>–<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1">
• Tag protection
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Special Localisation Issues (II)
• Text in graphics
– Static graphics: Layered Solutions
– Moving graphics
• Animated GIF Files
• Flash graphics: FLA Files vs. EXE or SFW files
– Text expansion
• Multimedia
– Audio
– Video and Audio
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Special Localisation Issues (III)
– Hard-coded text
– Hard-coded fonts
– Character encoding
• <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html;CHARSET=ISO 8859-1">.
– Double-byte enablement and bi-directional languages
– Text expansion
– Sort order
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Special Localisation Issues (IV)
• Local-specific content
– Specified by user environment:
• Date and time formats: calendar settings, clock settings
• Currency formats: number formats and names of currencies
• Number formats: use of different separators
• Fonts and page orientation: name and size
– Non specified by user environment
• Address formats: postal codes, states
• Name formats: Salutations, order of given name
• Telephone number formats: Number of digits, Area codes
• Units of measure: Imperial versus Metric
• Paper sizes: letter and A4/A3
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Contents
1. Basic Tools
2. Authoring Tools
3. Translation Tools and Integrated Terminology Management Tools
4. Web Localisation Tools
5. Globalization Management Systems
6. Budgeting and Invoicing
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Basic Tools
• Text editors+ Cheap
+ Useful for small changes if
familiar with HTML code
– Layout
– HTML code corruption
– Translatable text is overlooked
– Non-translatable text is
– translated
– Spell checking
– Named entities
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Authoring Tools
• WYSIWYG editors
+ Preview of the site
+ No corruption of code
– Modification, deletion or
addition of new code
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Authoring Tools
• Non-visual HTML editors
+ Both HTML code and
WYSIWYG views available
+ Highlighting of HTML tags
+ Navigation panel with files
and folders
+ Named and number entities
are converted automatically
+ Additional functionalities such
as spell checkers, search and
replace, link validation etc.
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Translation Memory Tools with Terminology
Management
• TM Tools
+ Text can be leveraged after translation (TM function)
+ Tag protection
+ Integration of Terminology Management
+ Tag verification
+ Word counting
– Filters do not support all HTML tags
– Embedded code and scripts
– TMX compatibility
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Web Localisation Tools
• Web Localisation Tools+ Designed specifically for
translating web sites
– May have some
– limitations
– Price
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Globalisation Content Management Tools
• Management and localisation of multilingual websites
• Extracts new Content
• Automation of the process
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Budgeting and Invoicing
• Counting words
– Words
– Words in tags
– Words in embedded scripts
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The new current global advertising environment
• Brands are marketed and distributed globally
• Atomised and intertwined media (TV, Press, Internet, Satellite, Mobile)
• Continuous two-way communication
• Multitasking prosumers
• Travelling consumers
• Shrinking budgets
However, consumers in different markets are different
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Advertising message
Traditional TV
Interactive TV
Digital TV
Satellite TV
Internet
Podcasts
Radio (DAB, traditional and
online)
Posters
POS
Direct marketingMobile telephones
Merchandising
Advertorials
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Strategies in international advertising
• Standardization vs. adaptation of the original strategy
• Centralization vs. Decentralization of the production of the marketing campaign.
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A glocal approach is one that presents a unified global theme and message but adapts the delivery of that message to the local environment.
The challenge is to retain the “brand essence” and the campaign global consistency and yet be recognised as having local appeal and relevance.
LocalNuances
GlocalBranding
GlobalBrand
Essence
Glocal = Think global + Act Local
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Webvertising
• It is all about driving traffic to websites and increasing brand awareness.
• Cultural factors such as colour, symbology, lay out and content perception are basis for effectiveness.
• Different formats bring new challenges for localisation.
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Webvertising
SkyscrapersGreat for Chinese and Japanese, very difficult for German, Dutch or Turkish languages.
Video bannersDubbing and subtitling a banner
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Headline Description 1 Description 2 Display URL
{Keyword:Vuelos a %name} Reserva un vuelo a %geo y ahorra en tu viaje a %geo %geo.TripAdvisor.es
{Keyword: Avión a %geo} ¿Viajas a %geo? Compara precios de vuelos a %geo y ahorra %geo.TripAdvisor.es
Vacaciones en %geo Encuentra las mejores gangas de tus aerolíneas favoritas TripAdvisor.es/vuelos
{KeyWord:Hoteles en %geo} ¿De viaje a %geo? Lee ofertas y opiniones de hoteles www.TripAdvisor.es
{KeyWord:Hoteles en oferta} Conoce la verdad antes de ir. Lee opiniones de viajeros reales. www.TripAdvisor.es
{KeyWord:Opiniones de hoteles} Consejos de viajeros hospedados en %name www.TripAdvisor.es
{KeyWord:Hoteles en oferta} ¿De visita a %geo? Infórmate de hoteles y atracciones TripAdvisor.es/{KeyWord:Hoteles}
%med_name %name, %geo. Fantásticas tarifas y sin comisión TripAdvisor.es/%short_name
%med_name %med_name, %geo. Fantásticas tarifas y sin comisión TripAdvisor.es/%short_name
{KeyWord:¿De viaje a %geo?} ¡Ahorra en tu reserva en %name! TripAdvisor.es/Hotel
{KeyWord:Información de hoteles} Lee tarifas, opiniones y reserva en %name ahora www.TripAdvisor.es
Headline Description 1 Description 2 Display URL
{Keyword:%name Flights} Book a %geo Flight Now and Save On Flights to %geo! %geo.TripAdvisor.es
{Keyword:%geo Flights} Travelling To %geo? Compare %geo Flights & Save! %geo.TripAdvisor.es
%geo Holiday Travelling soon? Find low prices from your favourite airlines. TripAdvisor.es/Flights
{KeyWord:%geo Hotels} Visiting %geo? Find Deals & Read Hotel Reviews! www.TripAdvisor.es
{KeyWord:Hotel Reviews and Deals} Know Before You Go. Read Reviews from Real Travelers. www.TripAdvisor.es
{KeyWord:Hotel Ratings and Reviews} Advice from Travellers Who Know %name www.TripAdvisor.es
{KeyWord:Hotel Reviews and Deals} Visiting %geo? Research Hotels and Attractions! TripAdvisor.es/{KeyWord:Hotels}
%med_name %name, %geo. No Reservation Costs. Great Rates! TripAdvisor.es/%short_name
%med_name %med_name, %geo. h TripAdvisor.es/%short_name
{KeyWord:Visiting %geo?} Book Now and Save On %name! TripAdvisor.es/Hotel
{KeyWord:Hotel Ratings & Prices} Read Reviews, Check Rates, and Book %name Now! www.TripAdvisor.es
Google Adwords
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Mobiles & PDAs
• SMS, MMS, 3GStrategic issues: some markets better than others
Italy and Spain – outdoor living, chatters.Technical issues: character limit (160), complex technology.
• WAP, PDA, iPhoneTechnical issues: small screens, different models
(manufacturers, resolutions), different OS.
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Translation Strategies According to Product
Typology
• Tradition-free (global) products can be identified with technological, scientific or financial products, whose main selling points are based on performance.
• Culture-bound (local) products are those deeply rooted in national, local or sub-cultural traditions. Food, entertainment, lifestyle some sports, travel, etc.
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Tradition-free products communication
• Requires less cross-cultural adaptation
• More cross-media co-ordination
• Allows for greater content sharing through modern technology
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Culture-bound products communication
• More glocal approach
• Addresses the local traditions or exploits local perception of foreign products (tourism, coffee, beer)
• Imaginative ways to position a product as a new tradition which fits in the local culture (Nescafe Brunch)
• Clear divide between the global brand values and their local declination (Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Lavazza calendar)
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Problems….
• Sharing creativity, texts and translations across media and markets is not easy
• CMS and GMS
• Personalisation
• Technology going quicker than translation scholars and localisation tool developers
• New role for the translator, transcreator?
• Who does the culture bit? How to teach it?
• Many more….