“The answer is yes. What’s the question?” That’s certainly our mantra when it comes to working with you and keeping you coming back for more. But in case there’s something puzzling about what we do, how we do it and what you can expect from us, we hope these answers will be helpful. Still want to know more? Just ask.
Frequently asked questions
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Because we bring chutzpah, meticulousness and our love of writing to each adaptation we handle. And we want your campaign to get results internationally as much as you do.
In the US, for example, cars are often seen as a symbol of freedom. But in Germany they’re a carefully considered investment. And in China they are mainly status symbols.
Even if the differences in terms of brand personality, market and product positioning might be subtle, we still need to be aware of them. Because at the end of the day, they can make or break your ad.
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By taking care of all the steps in the process. You just send us your content and, if possible, the same background information/brief you already have on hand from your original content-creation process. We handle the rest, including research, cultural filters, proofing and coordination.
And our clients can rest assured knowing we will always meet or exceed their expectations.
Corporate communications call for powerful writing, not translations. That means we don’t help our clients by offering the lowest price. We help them by delivering the maximum communicative impact. Getting our clients’ messages across effectively in what are often their most vital markets is a target we spare no effort to hit.
Brainstorming sessions, a series of revision loops, intercultural filters—that’s all part of our success formula. Not to mention the years we’ve spent building up teams of seasoned adaptation experts in the markets our clients move in.
That’s why a spot-on adaptation isn’t a luxury. It’s an investment that gets your foot in the door.
Sure. In fact, we do for small and medium-sized companies what many international networks do for big corporations: offer creative input, test strategies for international effectiveness, write copy, create slogans, conduct microsurveys, and deliver other services usually only provided by an advertising agency.
By assigning the same teams to each client, which ensures rigorous consistency in terms of writing style and content.
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Ours are! We’ve spent many years developing the skills creative work takes. And we’ve learned quite a lot from the masters of the trade—from ad mills like GGK Düsseldorf and HSR&S (Daimler and Nikon), to Springer & Jacoby, Jung von Matt, Heimat, Philipp und Keuntje, Ogilvy & Mather and BBDO, all the way to thjnk.
A series of IBM ads we did for GGK, a 1980s advertising powerhouse from Düsseldorf (our home turf). They’re probably best remembered for their hall-of-fame ad “SchreIBMaschine” (German word for “typewriter” that has the company’s name in the middle).
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No, it doesn’t. Marketing and advertising have been our hunting grounds from day one. So working nights and weekends isn’t off limits if that’s when our clients need us. As Harry S. Truman once said: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Seriously: No marketing department would ever be satisfied with eighth-grade-level text in their native language. So why should they OK it for their foreign markets?
Studies have shown that websites, brochures and other sales materials that contain language mistakes—even if they’re just spelling errors—cast doubt on quality and trustworthiness. Yes, even “small” language mistakes can cost your company business!
Your customers’ first point of contact with you—your website and sales materials—leaves an indelible impression. Making it a good one calls for quality text.
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A world-leading expert in artificial intelligence—an American—once said to us: “As a speaker, I’ve only done a good job if the cleaner who happens to be standing in the room understands what I’m talking about.”
In German academic circles, which aren’t exactly known for short words or listener-friendly sentence structures, this mindset would likely meet with derisive snorts as too “populistic”.
That opened our eyes to how differently people are wired by their cultures. This happened almost 30 years ago, and it’s still true today.
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We could run through the list of hilarious SNAFUs that have been cited ad nauseam over the past 15 years (you know: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux, “Bite the wax tadpole” for Coca-Cola, and on and on). But those are mistakes any proofreader worth his salt can (or should be able to) spot.
The really treacherous mistakes are the systemic communications errors that lurk just under the radar—but can still seriously cripple the effectiveness of an ad.
Take, for instance, a visual with a politically correct, diverse group of people that doesn’t reflect the reality of a country with a more homogenous ethnic population. Or ad copy that references dreams you don’t share because it was written for a target group (read: people) you don’t belong to. Or a product name that sounds like your language yet is somehow a little off.
You would notice all those things in your native language, of course. But when you’re prepping an ad for export, they are easy to overlook. That’s where we can help—by preventing both subtle and not-so-subtle errors.
“Translating” taglines is an art form—precisely because they usually don’t translate. That’s why our ideal point of departure is a client brief. We brainstorm ideas, discuss and assess them as a team, analyze the message, associations and culture-specific aspects, and check whether they are memorable and impactful. We also make sure our recreation of your idea is as unique as your original (some ideas are fresh in one market, but old hat or overused in another). Of course, this process includes eliminating unintended interpretations that could harm your brand. We can even run microsurveys to test effectiveness.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn asked us to find an English version of their corporate slogan “Zukunft bewegen” (literal translation: “Moving the future”). Our English rendition “On track for tomorrow” illustrates why it is so challenging to describe our work: Translation? Transcreation? Adaptation? Whatever you call it, it says what DB wanted to convey and was well received by their English-speaking audience.
The short answer is: It’s the ability to pick up on foreignness and culture-related stumbling blocks and get rid of them. And instead infuse ads with an atmosphere that primes your target audience to embrace your message.
A straightforward English translation of a Chinese car ad would answer that question: This somehow doesn’t sound right. So why should the challenges be any less challenging the other way around? Especially considering that, apart from our vastly different senses of aesthetics, we also have divergent ideas about the purpose of an object depending on our culture.
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Content is empty without context. And the context needs to be different depending on your audience. We enrich stories with little details that help readers feel “at home” in the world you’ve created—such as by providing a short description of a German TV personality they may never have heard of, or adding local historical context. Expect us to get your message across without your target audience having the slightest clue the text was not written explicitly with them in mind. Now that’s the difference cultural intelligence makes.
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None, really. That’s our job.
Normally we assume you have defined marketability, potential demand, purchasing power, customer touchpoints, target groups and other core issues before you come to us.
When it’s about getting the execution right, that’s where we come in.
For example, ideas that make a company stand out in one country might not be particularly fresh in another. Or a product might symbolize something entirely different (such as cars as a symbol of status, freedom or squarely an investment). Or your target group might expect to be spoken to in a different tone of voice.
Adaptation is only as good as the advice that comes with it.
