As of 2016, there were approximately 40.5 million Spanish speakers in households in the US. It’s a number that will no doubt grow, so including bilingual marketing in your branding strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought. If you’re looking for a campaign to reach as many people as possible, then meeting people where they are should include speaking to them directly.
The process of bilingual marketing goes beyond plugging a slogan into Google Translate and hoping for the best. Word for word translations neglect tone and style, and could produce a nightmare scenario. Words matter, and their meaning across languages shifts. Phrases can even translate differently in the same language. Dialects in Spain, Latin America, and Mexico can differ vastly under the large umbrella of “Spanish.”
Transcreation
Transcreation is the process of adapting a message from one language to another while maintaining intent, style, tone, and context. Instead of translating an existing campaign, and shoehorning its message into a completely different culture, consider creating it in another language. This will require a staff member or freelancer who can write fluently in other languages, but the payoff for getting the message right will far outweigh the negative consequences of getting it wrong.
Social Media
If you’re a smaller company looking to expand your reach, having a separate social media profile dedicated to producing content in another language might be a strain on your resources. Focus on images, which can translate across language barriers. Video, too, is a good option, making sure to include subtitles for consumers in your intended market.
Bilingual marketing requires great attention to detail. Besides getting the translation (or transcreation) right, maintaining cultural specificity is also important in engaging consumers speaking other languages. What experiences or traditions resonate with your target audience? Reaching across language barriers requires careful consideration of your messaging and its impact, but the rewards of tapping into a huge market are worth the effort.
Here at Paperkite, we have a native Spanish speaker on staff to help ensure that your translation is seamless. Contact us today to help with your bilingual marketing strategy.
