Translation in the Consumer and Retail Industry
Does the Consumer and Retail Industry need Translation?
The consumer and retail industry is in need of translators because they help provide a crucial service. Since more and more companies are trying to expand their reach to new marketplaces with foreign languages, they need their content translated. That’s where translators come in hand.
How the Industry Benefits
The consumer and retail industry is all about reaching out to many people to get them to buy their products. If retail companies want to expand, they need more clients. That is why they are trying to access new markets. However, issues arise when it comes to language and cultural barriers. In fact, over 70% of people spend the greatest amount of time on websites that are in their own language. This means that companies absolutely need good translation of their content. It helps to create an experience that feels local and welcoming to the client. Companies can’t just rely on online translators, such as Google Translate (which is an automatic part of Google Chrome), that can be frustrating for clients due to errors in translation. This is especially important when it comes to gaining Asian clients because of the low accuracy in the translations to Asian languages. One good example of how companies are changing to adapt to new global markets is the pursuit of a multilingual platform by Snapdeal, a retail marketplace.
What a Retail Translator Does
So what does a retail translator do? As you guessed, their job is very similar to other types of translation. However, it requires more creativity than some types of translation and therefore could be called transcreation. Transcreation is a very creative process of adapting copy (or written content) to fit the specific culture of the target market for an advertising or marketing purpose. It involves maintaining the emotional parts of the work as opposed to keeping a more accurate definition of words, like you’d find in other types of translation such as the legal kind. Now, of course, not all translation in the consumer and retail industry will be for marketing, and therefor not fit the definition of transcreation, but much of it is. An additional bonus to working in this industry is that you could gain sales and marketing experience to help your own business or add to your resume.
Retail Translators
Retail translators are pretty important in the consumer and translation industry. Without them, the industry won’t grow and definitely won’t be able to obtain more clients. If you’re interested in this type of work, specializing in consumer and retail translation might be highly beneficial to you. You could work directly for a company, as part of a firm, or as a freelancer. If creativity is your thing, it could be a great experience.
References
- Lackuna: http://www.lackuna.com/2012/12/13/how-translation-can-boost-your-website%E2%80%99s-bottom-line/
- K-International: http://www.k-international.com/blog/translating-retail/
- Common Sense Advisory: http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com/
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