The Language Services Blog | News & Information

How Company Culture Impacts Translation

Written by Nicole Piazza, Sales Coordinator | Dec 4, 2019 5:30:30 PM

The technological advancements have made today's economy more global than ever before. Now, companies are competing across national boundaries, looking to expand into previously untapped markets. While this gives companies a chance to grow their customer bases, this also means that businesses need to be able to talk to potential customers in their native language. This means that translation is more important than ever before.

Large brands that operate in dozens of countries count on translation service providers to assist them with everything from employee information to legal documents, publications, consulting, and countless other company operations. It is critical for this translation to be performed correctly. Company culture can drastically impact the end result of translation services.

 

The Importance of Personality

First, the personality of the brand still needs to shine through. Today more than ever, customers care about the identity of the companies to which they give their business. Because the company's identity is intimately tied to its brand, the personality needs to shine through. The personality of a company is reflected in its voice and tone, which must be considered in the translation service. If the brand personality is not taken into account during the translation service, the end result might be misinterpreted by employees and potential customers alike.

 

Conveying the Proper Emotion and Meaning Behind the Message

Next, it is critical to consider every aspect of the translation. Non-romanized languages often have tones, inflections, and accents that can drastically change the meaning of a single word or phrase. Inaccurately translating this portion of the language can totally change the interpretation of the message. Furthermore, particularly if videos are being used, the emotion behind the message needs to be properly communicated.

Languages have their idioms, turns of phrase, and slang that need to be considered as well. These often cannot be translated word for word because there might not be an equivalent in the target language. It is critical to have someone intimately familiar with the local culture translate these words and phrases.

 

Consistency is Key During the Translation for Both Customers and Employees

Even though companies have offices and buildings in multiple countries, the policies need to be consistent regardless of the location. The handbook, contracts, safety procedures, and other key daily operations need to be translated accurately. The policies and training should be universal regardless of the employee's location. This will create a culture of consistency, equality, and fairness regardless of the culture or language. This will also ensure that employee proficiency is consistent across all offices regardless of location.

This consistency needs to extend to the customer as well. Companies now have customers all over the world. The level of customer service needs to be the same regardless of location as well. In order for this to happen, translations need to be accurate. Customers should have access to highly-trained customer service agents who can translate and speak their language. It is important for businesses to maintain the loyalty of their customer base. Companies will have an easier time doing this if the customers believe that the business is dedicated to communicating with them in their native language. 

 

Relying on the Professionals

Clearly, it is crucial for businesses to rely on a professional translation service provider in today's era. Those companies that are best able to compete in the modern, global economy are those who can communicate with potential employees and customers in their native language. In order for this to happen, a professional translation service provider is a must.

A professional translation service provider will accurately translate words, phrases, and meanings using the proper context clues. Furthermore, a translation service provider can also convey the identity, personality, and culture of a company's brand in any language and across any medium, whether it is a written document, still photograph, video, or radio spot. For this reason, the importance of working with a professional should not be underestimated. Be sure to include a copy of your brand's guidelines to help provide context clues to communicate the identity of the company's brand in an appropriate manner.