Ensuring that your core marketing messages are translated correctly and effectively is essential when branching out into international markets. Localization should be factored into your marketing budget to ensure that your materials are adapted to suit your target market with regards to expressions, culture and values.
Word for Word won’t do
Differences in grammatical structure and the existence of equivalent words can make it difficult to translate word for word. Love is an example of a word which requires careful attention when translating from English to Arabic. This one English word has multiple degrees in Arabic. Love can be translated to “like”, “care”, “desire” or “passion”. So if you want to convince your potential customers that they will love your product you will need to be careful that your message doesn’t come across too weak or too strong and over the top. Understanding the concept and context of written text is important to ensure that words chosen for translation are appropriate and convey the relevant balance of meaning.
Avoiding offence
Although in recent years there have been significant western influences in the Arab region, culturally, East and West are still worlds apart. How you deal with local cultural values and sensitivities can make or break your reputation in the Arab world. It’s thoroughly important that you know and understand your target audience in order to ensure your message is respectful at the same time as being engaging and relevant.
Lifestyle tends to be an area with substantial differences between the Arab and Western worlds. Advertising which promotes the benefits and joys of being single wouldn’t be suitable for the Arab culture which places higher value on marriage and family. Boasting about how cheap your products are may be off-putting to some of the more affluent Arab audiences who value status and prestige.
Surely there must be an easier way
A pharmaceutical company thought they had found a good way to circumnavigate the murky waters of cross-cultural translations. They decided to market their new medicine in the United Arab Emirates with pictures. You can’t really go wrong there. The first picture presented an ill person, who in the second picture was shown taking the medication. The sequence of images was concluded with a third picture which showed the person looking well. What the company failed to realise was that in the Arab world people read from right to left! So in actual fact they were advertising their product as being the cause of ill health rather than the cure!
There are much easier and more effective ways of avoiding advertising blunders. Kwintessential Arabia provides specialist localization services which will help you to successfully market your products and services in the Arab world. Contact us for a chat with one of our local experts who understand the Arabic language and cultural nuances. Our team will work with you to understand your goals and objectives, ensuring you successfully translate your messages into the appropriate standard or colloquial Arabic.
