More than ever before, we’re operating in a global business environment. While this presents massive opportunities, it also puts pressure on brands to create content that’s relevant to an international audience. Most businesses understand the need for translation but underestimate the importance of globalising their content. Every day organisations around the world experience self-inflicted brand damage by not considering how their content will be perceived in other countries. Even when language is not the issue, cultural differences can hamper the effectiveness of your content marketing initiatives. In this session, content marketing consultant Sarah Mitchell shares experience and advice gleaned from more than 20 years working in corporate environments outside her home country. You’ll receive guidance on how to globalise your content to attract a culturally diverse audience with definite recommendations on things to do and what to avoid doing. At the end of the session, you’ll have a clear idea on how you can attract customers from every corner of the world. This presentation was originally created for Content Marketing World Sydney - 2014.

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Globalising
Content for an
International Audience
Sarah Mitchell
Global Copywriting • @globalcopywrite

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Your topic of presentation
Your favorite topic to discuss
Hello
Sarah Mitchell
@globalcopywrite

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Mamao
y Toto

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Show of hands
 Global Brand
 Working at company headquarters
 Working in a regional office
 Doing business globally from single location

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Less than 6%
of the world’s
population speaks
English well enough
to conduct business.
Consider this

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99% of consumers on earth do not
live in the Australia/Oceania region.
Image credit: freestock.ca
- World Internet Usage
and Population Statistics
(June 2012)

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Asian Century
Over 1 billion internet users –
45% of the world’s total –
live in Asia.

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And yet…

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“Many of us treat the world-wide web
like the Ohio web or the American
English web. Marketers are
overwhelmed and unprepared.”
Scott Abel,
The Content Wrangler

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Over 60%
of global marketers
attending CMWorld USA
admitted they have
no strategy in place for
global content marketing.
Cloudwords Survey

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That’s important because . . .

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“We’re inching closer to a linguistically
local internet, in which people no longer
have to leave their native languages to
get where they want to go.”
John Yunker,
Global by Design blog

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How does Australian business reach
the other 99%?

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By making
globalisation
part of your strategy

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Translation is not enough

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“I’ve come across too many texts
translated into a different language via
Google Translate. Agencies selling ‘native
speakers’ should sound warning bells.”
Nenad Senic,
Disput

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WHY?
Global Content Considerations
Brand
Consistency
Cost
Efficiency
Communication
Effectiveness

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“How to strike that balance
between global and local is
really an art and a science.”
Pam Didner,
Global Integrated
Marketing Manager, Intel

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Brand
Consistency

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Is your brand global?

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Is your product local?

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Localising Content
It’s Complicated

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You’re probably both
The
Grand
Picture
or
The
Big
Picture

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Cost
Efficiency

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1. Creating foreign language content factories
2. Trying to do it all from head office
(Expensive) Traps

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Circle
the Wagons

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Communication
Effectiveness

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“I might commence to spend provided
that viable chopping it up that has a
fellow geek, every one of the even
though not selling anything.”

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“October is the time of year when
most companies lock in plans
and budgets for next year.”
#GlobalFail
marketing company

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Globalisation =
(Translation + Localisation) x
Number of localities

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Tip
Know Your Audience

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Colours Holidays Sports
Religion Fiscal Years
Superstitions
Local Considerations

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Paper  Size of documents
 Hole Punches

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 s vs. z
 er vs. re
 ‘our’ words
 medical terms
Spelling

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Quid • Buck • Dosh
Slang

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Same Word, Different Meanings
 Gong
 Football
 Rug
 Powerpoint

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Colloquialisms
Robot vs. Traffic light
Speed bump vs.
Sleeping policeman

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Units of Measure
Engineering • Cooking • Pharmaceuticals

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Currency Expressions
Nickel • Dime • Quarter

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Sports Terminology
 Knocked for six
 That’s not cricket
 Hit a home run
 Knock it out of the park

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Accents
Not all English
speakers can
understand an
Aussie accent

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Religion

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CustomsCustoms

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 Sister
 Rooms
 Theatre
 ED
Medical Terms

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Superstition
13 4 8

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 Corporate Marketing drives the
globalisation initiative
 Regional offices navigate the content
for local audiences
 Managed under a separate project plan
Path to Success

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 Don’t try to globalise ALL your content.
Select key pieces.
 Focus on top 20% of your content
Intel Method

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Collaborate, don’t legislate

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Make sure everyone has skin in the game
 Budgets
 Accountability towards performance

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“Think global,
publish local.”
Sarah Mitchell,
Global Copywriting

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Your topic of presentation
Your favorite topic to discuss
Questions?
Sarah Mitchell
@globalcopywrite

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