Reaching to another market is not only about translating your marketing material. You must collaborate with local graphic designers to make sure that not only the content but also the graphics are localized. There are cultural, technological, regulatory and audience related factors to consider.
Cultural examples for localization / transcreation:
For Asian markets, it is better to replace western faces with Asian people.
Some Muslim countries may prefer women to wear a Hijab.
Technological factors for localization / transcreation:
Editable graphics and source files are localized easier. jpeg, png and scanned images require additional OCR process and the final transcreated image is usually of lesser quality. We use XTM Cloud translation management system and InDesign server to easily localize photoshop, indesign and illustrator files.
If there are diagrams of wiring or piping systems with very small font sizes, it may be a good idea to set a font size limit. Localizing very small text may not be practical. However, if it is a must to localize all content, then appropriate file type must be used.
Regulatory requirements for localization:
There may be different regulatory requirements for labelling, online receipts, product descriptions or recipes. Such requirements are include but are not limited to allergen warnings, energy / calory charts, restricted ingredients and/or rules about minors.
Audience related factors for transcreation:
If you are aiming children, you may want to choose images and illustrations that will appeal to kids. Fonts, colors, shapes and sizes must be adopted to the age group. Similarly, if you are publishing for elderly, make sure to use larger fonts so that they can read easily.
These are some of the many tips and tricks we have learned in the past two decades. We collaborate with talented and experienced graphic designers to make sure that your content is beautifully transcreated into other languages and cultures.
