Monthly Archives: November 2014

Happy Birthday to Linguistica International!

Happy Birthday Linguistica International… Six Years and Counting!

It’s probably not all that dignified to wish yourself a happy birthday, but once you reach the ripe old age of six, you tend not to care; after all, it’s our party and we’ll cry if we want to.

Thankfully though, there’ll be no tears, because Linguistica International has had another barnstorming year. We actually can’t believe how lucky we’ve been, and we want to sincerely thank each and every one of our fantastic clients for their continued business, and all of our mother tongue translators for the exceptional standard of their work.

The Early Days…

To say the success we have experienced to date is unexpected would not be true; after all, we wouldn’t have started a business if we expected it to fail. But we certainly have been surprised by the tremendous growth we’ve achieved to date.

We formed Linguistica International in 2008, right at the start of the economic crisis. The downturn was beginning to kick in and many of our friends and colleagues thought we were crazy to start our own business at such a precarious time.

The business itself began in the spare room of a frustrated translator. The source of the frustration was the lack of professionalism and the sloppy work that so many translation agencies were willing to let slide. The realisation dawned on us that the only way to produce the calibre of work we were happy to put our names to was to set up on our own. Yes, the timing might have been bad, but it really was our only option.

Sustained Growth

Linguistica International was born in a time of austerity, but we’re incredibly proud that during these bleak years for many, we were able to grow our business year-on-year while a number of our competitors were forced to fold. In fact, through the recession we achieved an average annual growth of 50 percent.

Now the economic situation is looking just a little bit brighter we have been able to increase our rate of growth substantially, so much so that are we already 55 percent up on our end of year figures for 2013. And all this is thanks to the hard work of our dedicated team.

Client Retention Rates

The underlying reason for our success is the quality of translation we insist on. We did not start this business to become the type of sloppy translation agency we were desperate to get away from. We had a simple choice: to rush through a piece of work and deliver mediocre translations that underwhelm our clients; or take the time to produce a piece of work that we can be proud of. No contest!

So far our drive to produce the highest quality work has been reflected in our customer retention rates. We currently retain 90 percent of our clients. In 2015, we want it to be 100 percent!

Whether you’d like to wish us a happy birthday, or simply put an order in for some work, we’d love to hear from you. Please call +44 2392 987 765 or email: info@linguistica-international.com to get in touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fine line between localisation and globalisation

Treading The Fine Line Between Localisation And Globalisation

No brand can be all things to all people, but that doesn’t prevent companies from having a darn good go. As a professional translation team that works with global brands such as Santander and Manchester United, as well as many small and medium-sized enterprises, we are constantly treading the fine line between localisation and globalisation. Huge brands want the familiarity and personal service associated with local brands, while genuinely local brands strive to convey the trust and credibility commonly associated with bigger businesses.

Building a strong global brand has never been easy, but once achieved, it does create an array of efficiency benefits that can give globalised businesses the upper hand. However, every new market is different, and a standardised approach will often lack the common touch people love.

A new brand entering into a new market has to work harder than established native brands to grab the attention of potential customers. Localisation is one approach global business use to earn the trust and respect of local people, and to position their brand closer to the consumer. But is localisation always the best approach?

The decision to localise

Localisation is an expensive process, so the decision whether to localise your business for specific markets requires plenty of research and analysis. However, in some cases the decision is simple.

For example, if your business strategy relies on local work or production, or if your original brand is based on colours or a name indicative of another culture, the localisation of your message to create a brand with a local look and feel will be central to your success.

However, the localisation decision is rarely so black and white. In most cases the fine line between brand features and cultural adaptation can cause companies to struggle with questions like:

  • Do the brand’s colours create a favourable impression in the foreign market?
  • Are the brand’s icons clearly understood in the new market?
  • Does your tagline translate into other languages without losing its meaning?
  • Is your offering even relevant to consumers living in this other culture?
  • Are poor sales the result of a reluctance to localise, or are they simply the result of insufficient demand?

The issue is: to what extent do multinational companies integrate or differentiate their operations between separate national markets?

The benefits of localisation

  • Gain a competitive advantage – If the competition localises its products or is made up of native producers, localisation will help you keep up. Alternatively, selling and serving your customers in their own language will give you a definite advantage over competitors with English-only products.
  • Show commitment to international customers – A localised website for specific customer groups highlights the company’s commitment to delivering information to consumers in their native tongue.
  • Build a strong local and international image – A localised presence will help your business project a strong international image that will benefit customers globally and locally.
  • Communicate effectively with customers and prospects – The localisation of your customer support operations can help international users better understand and apply your products and services. The result is an improved customer experience.
  • Improve market penetration – Localising your products will give customers in new markets a compelling reason to buy your products. Increasing market penetration in existing markets through localisation also represents a cost effective alternative to entering new international regions.

As a British company, it’s all too easy to think of English as the language of your business. In reality, the language of your business is the language of the customer. A professional localisation service can help your business find its voice in any market.

For more information abut localising your business’ key messages, please get in touch with our experienced team of mother tongue linguists today.