While globalization has connected the world like never before, successful localization requires more than just surface-level translation. By aligning content with nuanced cultural insights, brands can overcome barriers to build authentic multi-local engagement.
In marketing, optimal familiarity can relate to the ideal level of brand recognition and consumer exposure to a product or service. Achieving optimal familiarity in this context means ensuring that your website and content resonate and are relevant to local audiences in each target region.
Struggle for alignment
Localization should reflect the preferences, habits and values of the local market. Prioritize organic search goals that align with business goals. To take advantage of high-value SEO opportunities, you need to test and measure your initial efforts. Then, scale back what resonates. Regularly update your audience and journey research to stay relevant as behaviors evolve.
Automatic translator, human editor
Machine translation is a great way to expand your presence in various markets. However, machine translation often fails to capture nuances. Inaccurate translations can create a sense of unfamiliarity and distrust, undermining a brand’s efforts to build familiarity. Your workflow should always involve local experts or native speakers to ensure that the final result provides a translation with cultural nuances. An innocent phrase in one country may be offensive or meaningless in another. In-depth cultural knowledge, sometimes even at the subnational level, is essential to avoid such pitfalls.
Internal search is a hidden threat to correct localization
If your website’s internal search engine is not localized, it can drastically impact the user experience. Make sure to adapt the search algorithm to local needs. Brand names may vary; Often, people use a brand name instead of a product name to describe a product (Kleenex, Whiteout, Frigidaire). You need to ensure that your internal search engine is able to return results for these queries; otherwise, customers may think you don’t carry them and you could lose a sale. By adapting your search algorithm to local needs and considering variations in brand names and product terminology, you will align your store with customers’ local and familiar expectations.
Be wary of promotions
Avoid blanket promotions that exclude certain regions. Restricting access to offers due to geographic restrictions is extremely frustrating for customers.
Brands often encounter this problem when running contests or offering coupon codes. Instead, split promotions by location to present the appropriate offers. This may require region-specific landing pages, geo-targeted emails, or personalized site messaging.
If regulations limit certain promotions, be upfront about eligibility to manage expectations. For example, limitations related to Quebec’s strict language laws are understandable if clearly explained in advance.
Set up tracking to track promotion success by country and adjust based on response rates. Continuously optimize to improve the relevance of your offers for each location you serve. Localized promotions require extra effort because you need to keep in mind regional holidays, customs, color symbolism, and laws. But they drive engagement. McDonald’s is known for tailoring its menu and promotional offers to regional tastes and preferences around the world. For example, in Japan they offer seasonal items such as the “Teriyaki Burger” to suit local flavours, while in India they have a range of vegetarian options to suit cultural dietary preferences. But they go further with their marketing strategy, adapting ads to various cultures around the world.