Other top brands that have been presented the Influential Brand Awards over the years include Singapore Airlines, Keppel Land, Far East Organisation, Zalora, Breadtalk, Capitaland, Park Hotel and BMW.

To find out more about InfluentialBrands™Award, please visit here.

Click here to read the press release.

Please also check Singtel’s Ask the Expert in Localization for the Interview session with Mr Nicholas Goh, CEO and Founder of Verztec.

There is a strong correlation between the ranking of companies on a particular list and the number of languages found on their websites. Whether the ranking is based on revenue (the Forbes Global 2000), brand value (the Interbrand 100 Best Global Brands), or website traffic (the Alexa Top 500 Global Sites), sites at the top of these lists consistently show a higher language count than those on the bottom. Two findings stand out:
• Bigger companies offer more language choices than smaller ones
• The most popular websites publish in more languages than less popular ones.

Bigger Companies Offer More Language Choices
When we visited the sites of the top 50 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 list, we saw that they typically provided content in 15 languages, while sites from companies in the bottom 1,000 averaged only four languages. The average number of languages in our entire dataset of 2,409 sites was nearly 5.7. But it’s not just at the top and bottom. The trend line is clear at each slice – from the top band through to the middle, and all the way to the bottom. Smaller companies, taken as a group, average fewer languages per site.

The smaller companies in our sample – those with super-popular websites as ranked by Alexa but not listed among the world’s biggest companies – generally does better than their rivals in the bottom half of the Forbes Global 2000 list. These high-traffic volume websites average 4.8 languages rather than 4.1 for larger companies with less popular sites. This metric underscores the importance of adding languages in order to gain traction in the online marketplace.

About a quarter (23.3%) of the smaller companies don’t offer English on their immensely popular sites. Many in this cluster are country or regional social networks and other online services originating in non-Anglophone countries, with only one or a few languages spoken in their region.

The Most Popular Websites Publish in More Languages
The trend line of popular sites, such as Google and Facebook, to offer more languages is dramatically apparent among the top 50 grouping, but essentially flattens out after that. The whopping average number (17.9) suggests that to break into the top category, a company probably needs to put up 15 to 25 languages. Less popular websites – by traffic volume – include many corporate sites, including business-to-business brands with lots of languages but without the volume required to break into the Alexa Global 500.

Verztec is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Services Company. Verztec assists companies around the world to design, develop, localize and publish their global communication messages in over 60 languages across various channels. For more information as to how Verztec may partner and assist in your next localization project, kindly contact us at info@verztec.com or call +65 6577 4646 now!

*Source: Multilingual Websites: October 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

Facing the facts

Every year, according to the International Labour Organization, an estimated two million people die due to occupational accidents and work-related diseases. There are about 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million work-related diseases reported annually. We can all easily be a part of these statistics if we are not careful enough.

Case in point: Just 2012 alone has seen many fatalities and casualties taking place during the course of work. There were fire breakouts, scaffolding blunders, fatal falls and the most recent being the Jurong Shipyard rig accident which left 89 workers injured.

Safety: Not a given

Safety at the workplace should not be taken for granted. It may be the company’s duty to ensure a secure environment for all, but it is equally important for employees to be vigilant and be on the constant look out for anything that may jeopardize their well-being.

Here are some tips you should keep in mind for a safer working environment:

Credit: Talking Safety

Integrating good, health practices into your everyday life

You can also advocate workplace safety with the small things: by adopting a healthier lifestyle and routine. Give your eyes a break if you have used the computer for quite  while. Take a short walk once every few hours: you don’t have to head out of the building, a brief walk around the office compound will suffice. Make it a point to include more fruits as part of your diet – us Verztec folks have a designated fruit day every month – and exercise regularly.

Many hands make light work

In all, it’s best if everyone makes the effort to look out for themselves as well as for each other.

See a paper shredder unused but not turned off? Flip the switch button. Notice a box lying around a blind spot, along a common walk way? Move it to somewhere safer. Spot a flickering light in the storage? Report it immediately.

Images speak louder than words when it comes to defining transcreation. The examples that follow show how a pharmaceutical manufacturer markets its birth control product differently to different groups – U.S. English speakers and U.S. Latinas. The tagline in English relates to convenience, while in Spanish it relates to freedom of choice (see Figure 1 and 2). Content is displayed differently – safety information plays a more important role in the Spanish sub-menu to alleviate fears about infertility that are more prominent in this demographic.

Figure 1: Pharmaceutical Transcreation in Practice: U.S English Website (Source: Pfizer, Inc.)

Figure 2: Pharmaceutical Transcreation in Practice: U.S. Hispanic Website (Source: Pfizer, Inc.)

Confusion surrounds the term and the concept of transcreation across all groups that we interviewed and surveyed. As such, the definitions vary widely. Most people agree that the term “transcreation” is the amalgamation of the words “translation” and “creation,” or perhaps “creative translation.” Here are some other basics related to the definition of transcreation:

• The history of the term. Some trace the term’s roots to the computer and video game industry, as companies struggled together to take games from one market to several. People discovered that translating only the words was insufficient to convey an enjoyable and comparable user experience. They started changing images and even modifying story lines in an attempt to transform the content in very creative ways. The process was different than the more straightforward localization process being applied to business application software at that time.

• The current definition. The term “transcreation” is now more commonly applied to marketing and advertising content that must resonate in local markets in order to deliver the same impact as the original. The term may be applied when either a direct translation is adapted, or when content is completely rewritten in the local language to reflect the original message. Most often, transcreation includes a hybrid of new content, adapted content and imagery, and straightforward translation.

• Synonyms. Other terms often used to convey the same concept include “marketization,” “cultural adaptation,” “multilingual copywriting,” “copy adaptation,” “marketing translation,” “international copy,” “adaptation of marketing materials,” “creative international marketing,” and “transliteration” (incorrectly applied).

Typical projects that require transcreation include web campaigns that don’t attract customers in other markets, ads that are based on wordplay, humor that is directly related to just one language or culture, or products and services that need to be marketed to diverse demographics within the same market.

Transcreation provides the freedom to address the cultural gaps. It allows the intent of the message to be communicated so that it is positively received by the intended audience, without requiring the local version to remain fully faithful to the words or images used in the original version.

Verztec is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Services Company. Verztec assists companies around the world to design, develop, localize and publish their global communication messages in over 60 languages across various channels. For more information as to how Verztec may partner and assist in your next localization project, kindly contact us at info@verztec.com or call +65 6577 4646 now!

*Source: Reaching New Markets through Transcreation: March 2010 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech in Mandarin on Sunday, said Singapore will need to seize opportunities and reinvent itself to progress in the next 20 years.

Singapore’s situation is similar to other East Asian economies — like Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea — whose era of rapid growth is over.

Singapore, like the others, is in search of new strategies and formulas.

While many of the East Asian economies are anxious about their future, Mr Lee said Singapore is better off than many others.

Mr Lee said people from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have sent study groups to look at Singapore’s social and economic policies.

But as Singapore evolves, Chinese Singaporeans should not neglect their culture.

The prime minister said he supported recent proposals to set up a Chinese Cultural Centre and a Singaporean Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Academy.

Mr Lee said: “Our Chinese community has always been concerned about the preservation and promotion of culture and tradition.

“Chinese culture is an important pillar of Singapore culture. It is an emotional anchor and moral compass for many Singaporeans. We should preserve our cultural roots, lest we lose ourselves in this ever-changing world.”

Mr Lee said traditions and culture help strengthen the sense of identity, and the Chinese language here has local characteristics.

He said: “Recently, a National Day documentary shown on our local TV channel had some translation errors. For example, National Servicemen was translated as “national soldiers”, and HDB flats became “national housing”.

“This drew many criticisms. The mistakes were clearly made by foreign translators. The translators were competent in Chinese, but they did not know our local context or terms.”

Prime Minister Lee said Singaporeans have a unique culture, but this meant that new immigrants must work harder to integrate.

Mr Lee added that Singaporeans understand the local norms for acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. But new immigrants need time to learn and understand the Singapore mindset.

Mr Lee also encouraged everyone to stay positive, lead active lives and be self-reliant.

He said while it will be easier for younger Singaporeans to adapt, it is also possible for older people to keep up, though help must continue to be provided.

Mr Lee cited a few existing examples, including training courses and upgrading programmes offered by the government and NTUC, to allow older workers to acquire new skills and improve their job prospects.

Article reference source from Channel News Asia

As a result, many firms still debate whether it makes business sense to globalize their online marketing, online commerce sites, and call centers. Nonetheless, research dating back to 1998 indicates a high propensity for people to buy in their own language. It’s clear that website globalization has become a mainstream business activity today; in future years what is now a low curve in the below graph will likely become a straight diagonal line from upper left to lower right.

Most people prefer buying in their own language

More than half of the web users who purchased online (52.4%) buy only at websites where the information is presented in their language. More than 60 percent of consumers in France and Japan buy products from localized sites. In terms of language competence, people with no or low English skills were six times more likely not to buy from Anglophone sites than their countrymen who were proficient in English.

Language significantly influenced more important purchases

The vast majority (85.3%) feels that having pre-purchase information in their own language is a critical factor in buying insurance and other financial services. Conversely, just 45.8 percent thinks that it is important to buying clothes on the web. The more valuable an item, the more likely it is that someone will want to read about the product and buy it in their own language.

It takes more than local language to sell something

Over two-thirds (67.4%) of web users visit English-language sites monthly or more frequently, but just a quarter (25.5%) regularly purchase goods or services at those properties. Even with information available in the local language, the inability to use their own credit cards or currency stymies many international buyers. Converting those international browsers to buyers requires translation plus improved site performance and commercial enablers such as credit card and country-specific transaction support.

Global brands trump language and price

Half of the web users (50.8%) would buy a global brand over a local one, even without translated information. Looking at individual countries, just Germany and Japan fell below the 50-percent mark. However, having information in their own language was more important to 56.2 percent of the global web users than a low price.

Verztec is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Services Company. Verztec assists companies around the world to design, develop, localize and publish their global communication messages in over 60 languages across various channels. For more information as to how Verztec may partner and assist in your next localization project, kindly contact us at info@verztec.com or call +65 6577 4646 now!

*Sources:

• What LSPs Need to Know about global Website Trends: 14 April 2011 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.
• The Word’s 100 Best Global Websites in 2011: March 2011 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.
• Can’t Read, Won’t Buy: Why Language Matters: September 2006 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

While Corporate Hubs Stay Put in West, More Marketers Are Relocating Major Divisions to Capitalize on Fast-Growing Regions.

Call it the post-colonial era of marketing.

After years of ruling their global empires from headquarters in the U.S. or Western Europe, companies increasingly are relocating headquarters and top marketers for key brands outside their home borders, often to faster-growing developing markets. And while expatriate executives often run these operations, many of them are putting an emphasis on drawing marketing talent from overseas markets as well.

Take Procter & Gamble Co., which this year has moved the top general and marketing executives for brands representing nearly half its global sales to offices outside the U.S.

For instance, the global headquarters for P&G’s beauty and baby-care business, including its biggest brand, Pampers, moved 9,600 miles to Singapore from Cincinnati earlier this year. The global headquarters for the company’s flagship Tide brand and the rest of the fabric-care business headed to Geneva early this year.

While the Geneva shift had more to do with the preferences of new Group President-Fabric Care Giovanni Ciserani, the moves to Singapore were motivated by a need for P&G brands to be closer to the growing number of consumers in Asia, said spokesman Paul Fox. He stressed that this doesn’t mean Singapore saw a huge influx of personnel from Cincinnati headquarters — only about 20 in the case of each unit, albeit 20 highly compensated and influential executives.

P&G isn’t the only company making such moves.

“We have important management centers for our brands both in Paris and New York, but we’re seeing more and more marketing teams organized and growing in China, Brazil, Japan [and] India,” said Marc Menesguen, managing director-strategic marketing at L’Oreal. “We see that bringing amazing innovation power into the whole process.”

Mr. Menesguen, appointed in 2010, was charged both with spreading best practices from around the world more broadly throughout L’Oreal and preparing the company for a digital marketing future. As he sees it, having more marketers outside the company’s traditional developed-market hubs helps with both goals.

“The billion additional consumers [L'Oreal hopes to reach in 10 years] will be digital natives,” he said. “We know it.”

Many marketers have long had key business units headquartered outside their home bases. Unilever, for example, bases its ice cream business in Rome and Lipton tea in Paris rather than at corporate headquarters in London, a spokesman said. But Singapore has become a location for a growing number of Unilever executives; in fact, the company now has more people based there than it does in London.

An executive of one packaged-goods company referred to Singapore’s nickname, “Asia Lite,” noting that the city-state has a heavily Western-influenced culture and lifestyle that makes it an easier sell for U.S. or European executives, particularly those with families.

While Singapore works as an Asian headquarters, most U.S.- or Europe-based multinationals are placing their China headquarters in China. P&G has long operated its Chinese business from Guangzhou, but Shanghai is becoming the headquarters of choice for marketers serving China, said Marc de Swaan Arons, a veteran of Unilever and now chairman of the consultancy Effective Brands.

Jiri Kulik, senior VP of Reckitt Benckiser’s Latin America operations, noted that RB is focused on putting marketers in key countries within the regions—such as moving headquarters for China from Singapore to Shanghai. While he initially ran Latin America from Miami, he’s relocating RB’s Latin America headquarters to Sao Paulo.

“It’s very nice living in Singapore,” he said, “but you are not close enough to the Chinese consumer.” By the same measure, he said, “I really struggle being in Miami and being in America trying to sell to a Brazilian consumer. This is the fundamental reason we decided to make this change.”

Another good reason for such moves is to reflect the changing global population. “We are staffing up people in the developing markets and moving much more talent from the developed to the developing geographies,” Mr. Kulik said.

RB’s annual report noted, “Currently we have 36% of our management focused on the 6 billion consumers in emerging markets, versus 64% focused on the 0.9 billion consumers in developed markets. This will shift significantly and we have located our leadership of these areas in the respective market, effective Jan. 1, 2012, so that we can be even more responsive to consumer and customer needs and faster in execution.”

Johnson & Johnson has even moved the global headquarters of its baby-care business from the U.S. to Shanghai, partly because that’s where Cindy Lau, the executive who was named to run it last year, lives.

Packaged-goods marketers are leading the charge to disperse marketers globally, particularly in developing markets, said Mr. de Swaan Arons. But he also sees growing examples of such moves by financial services, pharmaceutical, automotive and electronics marketers, including General Motors, Ford and Nokia.

“We are at a turning point, which I call post-colonialism in marketing,” said Mr. de Swaan Arons.

One reason is that the quality of marketers available from developing markets “has improved so dramatically over the past two decades,” he said, while companies also have ramped up global marketing training programs. Those make the university training that young marketers receive elsewhere less relevant.

Article reference source from Ad Age Global