One chance only.
In our highly competitive global market you do not get a second chance to make a good first impression.
When dealing with foreign clients, language and cultural barriers are very often the only obstacles between success or failure.
What’s in a name?
A name or graphic that conveys quality and leadership in one culture can be a source of humor, or worse, in another. Making these kinds of blunders is embarrassing and costly, yet it happens every day.
Take aim on success.
International markets are as diverse in culture as they are in language. Even the most meticulously translated communication can lose impact, or even miss the mark completely, if key cultural factors are not considered. This is an oversight no company can afford to make.
But how does this happen?
It happens because marketing departments, legal counsel, communications firms and even trade name specialists do not possess the appropriate cultural expertise, or resources, to properly valuate these markets. This is where we come in.
One Planet’s Cultural Assessment Programs are aimed at giving you the best opportunity to be on target with all your translated communications.
One Planet delivers.
Beyond customizing your company name, product names and graphic assets, we evaluate criteria for all your translations:
Pronounce-ability
Will your English name be easy to pronounce in your target markets? Sound values vary widely—even among languages as closely related as French, Italian and Spanish.
Similar meaning
Are there similar sounding words, or graphics, with similar meanings? This can be a plus or a minus.
Only an experienced evaluator can tell you for sure.
Different meaning
Are there similar sounding words, or graphics, with different meanings? This can potentially create a serious identity problem for your product.
Connotation
If similar words, or graphics, exist in the target language are their connotations positive or negative?
Are the similarities consistent with the message of the proposed name or graphic? Are there slang, or jargon, uses of the terms that affect the name’s suitability?
Appropriateness
In many cultures an English-sounding name adds a cachet to a product (think of Häagen Dazs in the U.S.).
Will using the English name for your product enhance its acceptance? Are there legal restrictions to consider?
Is a graphic, or icon, culturally appropriate?
Will it be offensive or lose meaning in the target culture?
Familiarity
Will your target market be familiar with the English term or graphic? Will this enhance, or dilute, your message?
Spelling
Are any spelling changes required to ease pronunciation?
Translation
Will the name be more effective if translated into the target language?
Transliteration
Should the English name be left in the Roman alphabet or “spelled” using a local character set? This is especially important to consider for cultures that do not use alphabetic writing systems (Japan and China
Aworld apart.
No other translation company has as much experience working with business and popular cultures the world over as we do. Our U.S. and in-country linguists and evaluators provide you with a wealth of cultural knowledge making all your global communications as effective in international markets as they are in the U.S.
One person – your project manager – guides your project from inception through to successful completion.
Your goals become our goals. And your success becomes the only true measure of our success.
That’s what sets One Planet a world apart.