01/ 10/ 2007
by Judy Artunian
If you want to expand your market to include international customers, consider how your marketing messages will play outside of the United States.
If you're accustomed to communicating exclusively with American audiences, it's easy to forget that certain messages won't work elsewhere. For example, if your send a marketing newsletter filled with references that are strictly American, you may risk alienating prospects in Europe.
It may seem obvious that you should avoid mentioning baseball and the Fourth of July, but other questionable references may not be so obvious. For example, if your product brochure or Web site includes a list of happy customers, make sure that most of the customers are companies that your readers will recognize or can find easily on the Web. If you provide Web site links to research or articles that relate to your product or service, look for sites that are based outside of the United States, so that your message isn't too U.S.-centric. Avoid humor. It usually doesn't translate across cultural boundaries.
Before you move forward with a Web site or advertising campaign aimed at a specific foreign market, run it by your contacts in that market to make sure it won't offend or be misinterpreted in any way by the audience.
One way to get a sense of your customers' culture is to take a close look at the consumer magazines, Web sites and blogs that they read. Ask your overseas contacts if they can help you find English language versions. Consider drilling down even further to get a grasp on what will appeal to specific market segments. If you are trying to attract teen or young adult consumers in France, for example, ask copywriters and graphic designers who are immersed in that market segment how can make your promotional material more relevant to those consumers.
Take extra care to have everything translated accurately. That includes dollar amounts and measurements. You may have just returned from a European vacation, but don't be too quick to convert the numbers in your head. Even minor translation errors can turn off potential customers.
U.S.-based translators may be more convenient and economical than their counterparts overseas, but you stand a better chance of getting an accurate translation if you hire translators based in the country for which you are writing. To find a good translator, get referrals from vendors, colleagues and others who have facilities in foreign countries.
Keep in mind that multiple dialects are spoken in many regions. For example, not every Latin American country speaks the same form of Spanish. If you need to reach a wide swath of Latin America, but can't find translators for every dialect, look for someone who knows the most formal version of Spanish. Then ask Spanish-speaking people in your target markets to verify that the translation will work in their region.
Don't forget that photos and graphics can be interpreted differently from one culture to the next. A photo that is considered artistic in Germany might be condemned as obscene in India. When in doubt, e-mail the image or graphic to your contacts in other countries and ask them if it is acceptable.
