Adaptable Localization - The Evolution of L10N
Photo by Ameer Basheer on Unsplash
Welcome Back to Globalization Motivation where we oversimplify to evangelize globalization, localization, and above all collaboration. For our sweet 16 edition, let’s delve into the adaptability of localization.
Localization professionals sit at a precipice as we transition to valued strategic partners. This brings localization into key decisions that directly impact the ROI (return on investment) and the globalization of the brand journey. If you believe, like me, that localization is the adaptation of products, services, and all supporting messaging for specific markets, then you are already following this evolution of our industry. No longer does localization sit siloed as a service provider where they are blind to the unexpected.
Adaptation is a key element to evolution as well as the ultimate purpose of localization. We can walk through the evolution itself through these three commonly overused words:
Globalization - The availability of products, services, and/or supportive messaging in additional markets throughout the globe.
Internationalization - The accessibility of products, services, and/or supportive messaging in additional markets throughout the globe.
Localization - The adaptation of products, services, and/or supportive messaging in additional markets throughout the globe.
Availability, Accessibility, and Adaptation.
It’s easy to see why internationalization, globalization, and localization may seem interchangeable and dependant on one another. To be global is to be available in new markets, the visual and/or language and technology may not need to adjust. When there is internationalization, there may be the implementation of new technology or varied user experience for different markets, and still, the language and visuals could remain unaltered. Whereas with localization, there are changes to the content itself. This usually pertains to the localization of language. Versions are predicated by the necessary alterations. All versions are determined by customer demand. Customers and users demand personalization. The demand for personalization will impact how many versions there will be of products, services, and supportive messaging per a specific market.
Visualization of Localization
The above is a gross oversimplification, of course, but necessary to visualize the evolution of localization. Where it began and where it will continue to grow. With the somewhat humble beginnings of translation into additional languages to something greater and more complex than even language itself. Language content is the most powerful form of content with its very connection to human identity. Our dialects, our nationality, our politics, our culture, our very home. As if that wasn’t difficult enough, let’s add user experience and imagery.
Markets and Locales
Adaptation is to change, to version, to alter. Let’s identify the audience for these alterations. For our purposes, I say markets. Why “markets” and not “locales” or “countries”? Oversimplification, of course! If you look at my Flushing Queens example from Localization for the Rest of Us, you can see that a particular location may contain multi-lingual customers. A market represents a group of customers or users that may be within the same location (city, country, etc). This is where you really need to apply a well-written buyer persona. You have a location and within that location, you have multiple buyer personas and as a direct result, you may have multiple versions within a specific locale.
This is taking a wide lens to localization for the sole purpose of understanding the trajectory of the business landscape itself. Every product or service has a unique growth journey. The customer is driving localization’s growth. This will directly impact the supportive technology and service provider partnerships.
When I look into my crystal ball, I see a great future for our industry where collaboration is paramount to its success. I also foresee the constant adaptation of our technology and skillsets. We need to be able to tell the whole story aka provide all available context to properly execute our projects and that will need to be reflected in tools and processes. Collaboration with context. Identification of stakeholders, enlisting the right support, and advancements in technology to allow for the required integration, collaboration, and context to support complex content. Will the translation management tool disappear or evolve? Perhaps the complexity of language itself will not allow for language to be included in a standard enterprise system or content management system (CMS).
What does the adaptation of localization look like? How will this change over time? Of course, that depends on what you are localizing. The source content, the required outcomes, and the versioning. Localization technology will be adapting to the demands of the updated processes. But why wait until something breaks and force the adaptation? We can certainly get in front of future business requirements by looking at the larger companies and worse-case scenarios. Look to the brands with complex hardware and diverse marketing and think about who needs to collaborate and what context they will be looking for.
My go-to is “the big three” which I take from several years producing marketing content: Alienating your audience, Non-compliance, and Legal action. Projecting that your audience (users and customers) will increase and as a direct result, there is an increased risk of insulting, violating rules, and lawsuits. Growth increases risk. Risk leads to possible rewards. However, with the many success and failure stories we have at our disposal, we should be able to prepare for our inevitable success.
The What Ifs
In many a webinar, the question that is often raised is directly related to the involvement of localization in the design, the content strategy, and receive the context to be successful.
Perhaps a translator needs context from the UX designer. Or a localization project manager gets brought into early concept planning. It is possible to implement a forward-thinking strategy by answering questions to actual possibilities. Here are some examples of questions that you may ask that would impact your infrastructure and internal process.
What if We increase our product line?
What if We add new languages?
What if We are available in more countries?
What if We are involved in strategic planning?
What if We need to collaborate with additional stakeholders?
What if We need our technology to integrate with new tools?
What if We introduce new file formats?
What if We are asked to speed up our timelines?
What if We are introduced to new technologies?
What if We personalize the user experience?
What if We are impacted by a new political landscape?
What if We are facing an international epidemic?
Adapting Localization for the Future
Adapting to the “What Ifs” before they happen is the ultimate localization strategy. Adapting the implementation of the Practical Global Mindset fundamentals into your process (Education, Promotion, Empathy, and Analytics), will lead to context, collaboration, and protect the bottom line and elevate localization to the valued partner role. With a mindset that allows for the visualization of localization professionals as key stakeholders to unlocking global success. The landscape will change and our technology will look different and localization will always have an important role to play. Luckily, we can anticipate those changes and be prepared.
Expect the Unexpected
When I approach any project, I always assume that something may go wrong and that I will learn something new. However, I plan for every possibility that I can plan for. This includes never repeating a past mistake and the application of learnings from the successes and failures of my competitors and peers. The secret to success is to be nimble so that when you face an unexpected challenge, you can adapt quickly to a solution. This is often referred to as remaining “agile” which is often an overused term that is confused with one of the project management methodologies of the same name. There is probably a methodology or existing technology out there that may be applicable to promote collaboration, automate redundant tasks, and create efficiencies. The goal is to have a system in place that allows for flexibility.
Unique Evolution
Each organization has an organic growth process. Every story is truly unique depending on the product, audience, and source content. This does not mean that we need to remain siloed and allow our challenges to break us when we can continually adapt and anticipate. Localization is adaptable and localization will be adapting to meet the requirements of the future. Visualize where your client, user, customer, will be tomorrow, next year, and beyond. Ask some “what if” questions and evaluate if you are ready for the future of localization.