Why Localizing Corporate Videos In Marketing Matters

There was a time when companies didn’t care to localize their content.

But now with a cross-national market, localizing your content is of the utmost importance.

What do we mean by that? Well generally, localizing just means making your content specific to the region you’re trying to market to. Not all marketing messages translate well to different areas. What’s written in English might not make sense in Spanish. What speaks to a younger generation might be gibberish to senior. What reaches an urban community might not be understood by rural, less populated areas.

For example, in 2002, the California Milk Processor Board launched it’s ‘Got Milk?’ campaign. In Spanish. While the exact (rough) Spanish version was translated as ‘Tienes Leche?’ (intended to mean ‘Are You In Possession of the Popular Beverage Known as Milk?’) it actually translated to ‘Are You Lactating?‘. An embarrassing (but memorable) mistakes, this is just one of the many ways in which a failure to localize content can cause a marketing catastrophe.

Clearly, your goal should be to create content that is universal. This means a clear, poignant message that can be easily understood in different cultures, traditions, and languages. Animations work well. Silent film also works. Moving stills (for PSAs) send strong messages across the board. Something that elicits awe and inspiration works well across the board and succeeds in getting a message across – no matter who the audience is. It also avoids the potentiality of drawing on harmful stereotypes when attempting to reach a different culture.

Photo credit: cogdogblog via Foter.com / CC BY

If your video contains any sort of conversation with a character, it might be worth looking into dubbing. To avoid making mistakes like the ‘Got Milk’ campaign, consider hiring someone who can not just translate, but also interpret your message.

Another option is subtitling. In the past, we’ve highlighted some of the benefits to both voice dubbing and subtitling. Depending on the length and pace of the video, subtitling can be an excellent tool to get your message across. It also provides the added benefit of reaching an audience who might be hard of hearing.

Here at Key West Video, we specialize in making video content that matters to everyone. For more information on the services we provide, visit our website today!

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