Marc Osofsky is senior vice president of marketing at translation vendor, Lionbridge where he manages the company's global marketing efforts. As such, he's in a position to talk about translation and localization as a vendor, but also as a user who has to deal with the same types of issues you do when working in a global marketplace.

With more than 20 years of marketing experience he has been involved in marketing at a variety of companies. We asked him about changes in localization and what happens when companies ignore this aspect of their marketing campaigns.

FierceContentManagement: How has localization been changing in recent years?

Marc Osofsky: The localization industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift. The explosion of digital channels provides new ways to engage with consumers, but also requires relevant, personalized, real-time content to do so. This, coupled with advances in translation technologies like machine translation (MT) and platforms like SaaS-based crowdsourcing models, is changing the localization landscape.

Consumers across the globe demand instantaneous, personalized experiences and the ability to connect and collaborate in their native language. This requires companies to provide content and communications on-demand, in multiple languages--from high-quality branded web pages to task-driven communications such as online chat. In essence, there is more content to translate, into more languages, for more people, in less time. 

FCM: How important is localization to a global marketing strategy?

MO: Most companies generate between 40-60 percent of their revenue outside the United States. Research shows that consumers are twice as likely to complete an online transaction if they are engaged in their native language. This hyperconnected, global, mobile web presents unlimited potential to reach and engage consumers across the globe. Successfully localizing your marketing activities can generate new business, improve customer satisfaction and increase competitive advantage.

However, with this great opportunity comes great responsibility. Marketers need to release and support products, services and campaigns, and content simultaneously in multiple languages, affording each locale the flexibility to engage their communities in ways that are locally relevant. When done correctly, marketers can drive greater brand awareness and campaign effectiveness with messaging and programs tailored to the unique requirements of a specific country or region. 

FCM: What are the typical mistakes companies make when developing materials for a global market?

MO: There are three common mistakes when companies address global markets:

• Simply translating materials as opposed to truly localizing them. Localizing your highly-branded marketing materials should include the right mix of culture and context to maintain consistency and resonate with your intended audience. True localization requires an in-depth knowledge of consumer segments, competitor positioning and market trends for a given market. 
• Not utilizing a centralized strategy to manage and execute localized campaigns. A decentralized campaign strategy often leads to a host of issues including inconsistent messaging, increased cycle time and variable quality.
• Ignoring user-generated content and communications such as user forums, pre-sales online engagement and post-sales online chat support. Customers depend on user-generated content to make purchase decisions. Companies simply cannot afford to miss opportunities to engage customers online. Worse, failing to offer self-service and online chat support in a local language, often results in a costly call to the support center. By incorporating real-time translation into user generated communications, companies can broaden revenue opportunities, increase customer loyalty and reduce costs.  

FCM: What are some simple things companies can do to make their websites and marketing material more friendly to a given international audience?

MO: Language variations, cultural nuances and time zone factors are all important considerations for making marketing materials and websites more globally appealing. At the most basic level, it is important to have your homepage professionally translated into your key markets. Beyond the homepage, on-demand translation is often a cost-effective way to offer localized content at a fraction of the cost. It is important to allow users to choose what content they want, when they want it, in the language that matters to them. On-demand translation can achieve that. 

Anything you can do to appeal to a certain market will help; listing your international offices/contacts, having a local contact phone number, and even translating your SEM keywords can greatly increase your global presence. When it comes to managing marketing globally, your localization solutions need to provide the greatest in-market impact and effectiveness while maintaining your brand consistency.  

FCM: What are the consequences of ignoring localization?

MO: In today's economy, I think there are very few companies that can afford to ignore the needs of local markets. Ignoring localization or approaching it incorrectly can have serious negative consequences--decreased customer satisfaction, lost revenue opportunities and damage to your brand. This is why it is crucial for enterprises to provide real-time content and communications that are customized to reflect their brand and personalized to meet the needs of their consumer in any language, at any time, on any device.  

Related Articles:
Sitecore and Lionbridge team up on web localization 
LionBridge and IBM team up to develop real-time translation 
One on One with KnowledgeTree's Daniel Chalef