Do not use slang, colloquialisms, or improper grammar. Catchy marketing phrases do not work across cultures and languages – sometimes they don’t even work in different countries with the same language. Electrolux was thrilled in the UK with the response to their slogan “It sucks”. They could not understand why it was not well received in the United States!

2. Drop local references or specific country places.

Unless you plan on changing the marketing copy for each country that speaks the same language, do not make specific references to a particular geographic area or local customs. On the other hand, if you are targeting specific groups of consumers, it is best to adapt marketing materials to each country. In this case, use local references, terminology and the right currency.

3. Make pictures culturally appropriate.

A well-distributed magazine about diversity and opportunity for African Americans featured an Allstate full page back ad with a glowing white family leaning out the car windows. Oops, wrong target audience. The pictures need to reinforce the ad copy and targeted audience. People notice the glaring errors and they also can pick out foreigners in local publications.

4. Allow white space.

Translation expands the written copy and can be 20 – 30% longer depending on the language. A favorite example is “Fahrvegnugen” which is one German word but when translated it becomes four words in English – “the pleasure of driving”.

5. Make sure the original copy is well written.

Even the best translation company can’t fix bad writing. Bad writing always equals bad translation.

6. Stay consistent
When you develop your marketing message, keep it consistent and use the same tested translation. Often, we see companies letting their in-country distributers translate the marketing materials. This is the equivalent to having the sales force write the marketing material.

Most Indian restaurants offer a variety of appetizers. The most popular one is the samosa which is like a savory meat and potato-stuffed turnover. Other popular appetizers are
o vegetable samosa which is a vegetarian turnover stuffed with potatoes, peas, spices and herbs.
o lamb samosa is the same as the vegetable version with ground lamb mixed in.
o sev puri is a crisp wheat wafer topped with onions, potatoes, chutney and sprinkled with chickpeas.
o chicken chaat is pieces of marinated boneless chicken tossed with a blend of spices called chaat masala.
o shrimp pakora is shrimp marinated with ginger, light green chili and cilantro.
o aloo tikki is an Indian potato pancake topped with chopped onions, tamarind and green chili chutney.

Indian food is a vegetarian paradise. After thousands of years of the vegetarian-espousing Hindu religious influence, Indian chefs have taken vegetables to a new level.
o Vegetable bhuna is vegetables sautéed with spices.
o Akbari kofta are potato balls stuffed with nuts in a mild sauce.
o Bengan aloo is eggplant and potatoes sautéed in spices.
o Bhartha is roasted eggplant sautéed with onion, tomato, green peas and spices.
o Gobi aloo is cauliflower and potatoes sautéed in garlic and ginger and then steamed in a sauce.
o Saag paneer is spinach cooked with homemade cheese.
o Channa masala is chickpeas prepared in onions and tomato sauce.
o Bhindi masala is okra sautéed with onions, Serrano chilies and spices.

Most of the food is cooked fresh so it is always safe to eat – whether in a restaurant or on the streets of India. Most places do not keep food overnight. Food that is purchased in the morning is cooked and served the same day. Most restaurants cook their food to order and start from scratch thus ensuring the quality, taste and feel of the Indian cuisine.

When in an Indian restaurant, do not ask for beef or pork. Many Indians are either Hindus or Muslims. In Hinduism, the cow is considered a sacred animal so it cannot be eaten. Similarly, Muslims consider the pig to be a very filthy animal so it cannot be eaten.

Different regions of India prepare their meats in unique ways.
o Tandoori salmon is a wild salmon marinated in spices, garlic and ginger.
o Shrimp tandoori is jumbo shrimp marinated in oregano.
o Tandoori chicken is chicken marinated in spices.
o Mint chicken kebab is boneless chicken marinated in fresh mint.
o Shrimp bhuna is jumbo shrimp prepared in garlic, ginger, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes and cilantro.

Traditionally, meals are eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools. Meals are eaten with the fingers of the right hand and Indian flat bread is used to scoop up some of the food. Etiquette dictates eating with just the right hand and only using two fingers.

Indian food wouldn’t be complete without rice and bread.
o Basmati rice is aromatic rice suffused with saffron.
o Banarasi pulao is fresh vegetables, nuts and raisins with basmati rice.
o Gucchi pillau is mushrooms cooked with basmati rice.
o Naan is fresh tandoor-baked white bread.
o Cheese naan is naan stuffed with cheddar, parmesan and cream cheeses.
o Garlic naan is naan topped with freshly chopped garlic.
o Onion kulcha is naan topped with freshly chopped onion. Paratha is whole wheat unleavened bread.
o Aloo paratha is whole wheat bread studded with spiced potatoes.

For many Indians, when they invite you to a restaurant, it generally means they are the host and they are going to pay the bill. Of course, it depends on the individual and the nature of the invitation.

According to Wendy Pease, Executive Director of Rapport International, “Part of being successful in international business is learning about new cultures. Being open to trying new things is a big asset and will help you connect with your business associates around the world. Once you open your mind to trying new cuisines, you will be amazed at how much you enjoy a variety of dishes.” Rapport International is a full-service translation and interpretation company based in metro-west Boston, MA. Rapport International can help you learn about the nuisances of different cultures and provide quality translation done by experienced translators in over 100 languages

9. Provide Good Copy
Providing well written English copy is the most important first step to insure a quality foreign language translation.

8. Quality of Linguist
Use a trained and reputable linguist from a qualified translation company. One hospital tried to use a bi-lingual cleaning lady to interpret for a doctor and patient but culturally, the cleaning lady felt uncomfortable questioning the doctor and asking for clarification. Unfortunately, she told the patient that she needed stomach surgery when she only needed a pap smear.

7. Know Your Audience
Translate for the audience. If using a Caribbean French translator for Canadian documents, it will look sloppy because of the geographic language differences.

6. Keep a Consistent Voice
Using different linguists is like using different writers – everyone has their own style. One may use the word “dinner” and another use the word “supper”. You want consistency.

5. Use Correct Grammar
Catchy marketing phrases do not work across cultures and languages. For example “got milk” was translated to “are you lactating?” Try to avoid double meanings – they rarely ever translate.

4. Avoid Colloquialisms and Slang
In English, we understand what it means to say “that’s hot” or “that’s cool” but it doesn’t carry the same meaning into other languages.

3. Localize when Necessary.
Localizing the document means making it appropriate for the audience in a particular target area. If selling in a particular country, consumers will want to see the right cultural innuendos, currency, jargons, etc.

2. Review and Edits
Always have the translated document reviewed and edited. Translation is like writing where the more eyes the better for an important document. Do not use machine translations.

1. Track Changes
Keep track of all changes when editing the original copy to save costs on translation edits.

So, the next time you are hungry don’t bother walking the streets of China Town. Instead, grab your Fu King Chinese Restaurant menu or order some Fuk Mi Sushi from the local Japanese place. Your mother might not be thrilled but your boyfriend will be excited.

I am sure there are plenty of American restaurants who don’t fair any better in foreign countries. Restaurants that plan to do business internationally should consult a translation agency before naming any establishments. A name that sounds great in one language may have a completely different meaning when translated to another. Customers are serious about their food and interpretation is everything!

Rapport International, a translation and interpretation company based in metrowest Boston, MA is one good source for all foreign language market research. This company will make sure you are not giving your restaurant the unfortunate name equivalent to Dirty Dick’s or the Happy Crack.

Most Indian restaurants offer a variety of appetizers. The most popular one is the samosa which is like a savory meat and potato-stuffed turnover. Other popular appetizers are
o vegetable samosa which is a vegetarian turnover stuffed with potatoes, peas, spices and herbs.
o lamb samosa is the same as the vegetable version with ground lamb mixed in.
o sev puri is a crisp wheat wafer topped with onions, potatoes, chutney and sprinkled with chickpeas.
o chicken chaat is pieces of marinated boneless chicken tossed with a blend of spices called chaat masala.
o shrimp pakora is shrimp marinated with ginger, light green chili and cilantro.
o aloo tikki is an Indian potato pancake topped with chopped onions, tamarind and green chili chutney.

Indian food is a vegetarian paradise. After thousands of years of the vegetarian-espousing Hindu religious influence, Indian chefs have taken vegetables to a new level.
o Vegetable bhuna is vegetables sautéed with spices.
o Akbari kofta are potato balls stuffed with nuts in a mild sauce.
o Bengan aloo is eggplant and potatoes sautéed in spices.
o Bhartha is roasted eggplant sautéed with onion, tomato, green peas and spices.
o Gobi aloo is cauliflower and potatoes sautéed in garlic and ginger and then steamed in a sauce.
o Saag paneer is spinach cooked with homemade cheese.
o Channa masala is chickpeas prepared in onions and tomato sauce.
o Bhindi masala is okra sautéed with onions, Serrano chilies and spices.

Most of the food is cooked fresh so it is always safe to eat – whether in a restaurant or on the streets of India. Most places do not keep food overnight. Food that is purchased in the morning is cooked and served the same day. Most restaurants cook their food to order and start from scratch thus ensuring the quality, taste and feel of the Indian cuisine.

When in an Indian restaurant, do not ask for beef or pork. Many Indians are either Hindus or Muslims. In Hinduism, the cow is considered a sacred animal so it cannot be eaten. Similarly, Muslims consider the pig to be a very filthy animal so it cannot be eaten.

Different regions of India prepare their meats in unique ways.
o Tandoori salmon is a wild salmon marinated in spices, garlic and ginger.
o Shrimp tandoori is jumbo shrimp marinated in oregano.
o Tandoori chicken is chicken marinated in spices.
o Mint chicken kebab is boneless chicken marinated in fresh mint.
o Shrimp bhuna is jumbo shrimp prepared in garlic, ginger, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes and cilantro.

Traditionally, meals are eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools. Meals are eaten with the fingers of the right hand and Indian flat bread is used to scoop up some of the food. Etiquette dictates eating with just the right hand and only using two fingers.

Indian food wouldn’t be complete without rice and bread.
o Basmati rice is aromatic rice suffused with saffron.
o Banarasi pulao is fresh vegetables, nuts and raisins with basmati rice.
o Gucchi pillau is mushrooms cooked with basmati rice.
o Naan is fresh tandoor-baked white bread.
o Cheese naan is naan stuffed with cheddar, parmesan and cream cheeses.
o Garlic naan is naan topped with freshly chopped garlic.
o Onion kulcha is naan topped with freshly chopped onion. Paratha is whole wheat unleavened bread.
o Aloo paratha is whole wheat bread studded with spiced potatoes.

For many Indians, when they invite you to a restaurant, it generally means they are the host and they are going to pay the bill. Of course, it depends on the individual and the nature of the invitation.

According to Wendy Pease, Executive Director of Rapport International, “Part of being successful in international business is learning about new cultures. Being open to trying new things is a big asset and will help you connect with your business associates around the world. Once you open your mind to trying new cuisines, you will be amazed at how much you enjoy a variety of dishes.” Rapport International is a full-service translation and interpretation company based in metro-west Boston, MA. Rapport International can help you learn about the nuisances of different cultures and provide quality translation done by experienced translators in over 100 languages

In order for people to network, do business, and make social contacts between countries, Facebook needs to offer translating services. They have started doing this by counting on the free services of volunteer translators as well as a few paid professional foreign language translators.

Facebook relies on real people to suggest translations and then allows a number of people to weigh in and vote on the phrase or suggest a better translation. So far, their strategy is working but Facebook can not rely on the free services of a small group of people forever.

Google is attacking the problem in a very different way. Google is using computers and mathematical equations to translate the Web’s content. Computers learn how to translate by examining text that is already on the web. Google also offers a widget that others can use to translate their web content.

The problem with Google’s plan is that computers are not able to translate modern speech and colloquialisms. Therefore there is a high potential for mistakes and errors. The list of humorous inaccurately translated phrases is ever growing.

The only real solution to this problem is to hire a quality translation service that is capable of handling all the needs of both Facebook and Google. Rapport International, a translation and interpretation company based in metrowest Boston, MA is one good source for all foreign language translation needs. Rapport can provide quality translation done by experienced translators in over 100 languages.

In 2001, Indiana-based Mead Johnson Nutritionals recalled 4.6 million cans of Nutramigen Baby Formula due to misleading Spanish directions on bilingual labels. Though the problem was caught before any infants died or became ill, the cost for recalling and re-labeling the cans was exorbitant.

If you don’t get the hard copy, here is the link to the online article. Please forward to anyone who may have translation needs – it is short and informative.

http://www.wbjournal.com/news46858.html

Rapport can connect anyone, anywhere in the world by translating your words into any language. We offer free project consulting, free quotes and exceptional customer service.