International Language Experts
International Language Experts
Case Study: Translation and Localization for Hermes – From French to Arabic
Client: Hermes
Industry: Luxury Goods and Fashion
Project Overview: Hermes, a global leader in luxury fashion and lifestyle products, approached us to assist in expanding their brand presence in the Middle East. The task was to translate and localize their high-end marketing materials, product descriptions, and digital content from French into Arabic. The goal was to maintain the brand's sophisticated tone while ensuring cultural relevance for the Arabic-speaking audience.
Challenges:
Maintaining Brand Integrity: Hermes is synonymous with luxury and sophistication. Ensuring that the translations conveyed the same level of elegance and exclusivity in Arabic as in the original French was paramount.
Cultural Sensitivity: Arabic-speaking markets have distinct cultural nuances that required careful consideration, especially in terms of imagery, idioms, and expressions.
Technical Complexity: The project involved translating digital content for Hermes' online platforms, including web pages, e-commerce listings, and multimedia content, requiring technical precision to ensure a seamless user experience.
Approach:
In-Depth Brand Study: Our team conducted a thorough study of Hermes' brand values, tone, and existing content to understand the essence of the brand. This helped in creating translations that were not just linguistically accurate but also resonated with the brand's identity.
Cultural Adaptation: We collaborated with native Arabic linguists who have a deep understanding of both the luxury market and the specific cultural context of the target audience. This ensured that the translated content was culturally appropriate without losing the original intent.
Quality Assurance: Multiple rounds of proofreading and quality checks were conducted to ensure that the translations were not only accurate but also maintained the elegance and exclusivity associated with the Hermes brand.
Technical Localization: For digital content, our team ensured that the translation was optimized for the Arabic language's right-to-left reading format and that all localized content was compatible with Hermes’ e-commerce platform.
Outcomes:
Enhanced Brand Presence: The localized content allowed Hermes to communicate effectively with its Arabic-speaking clientele, enhancing brand loyalty and engagement in the Middle Eastern market.
Increased Sales: By offering product descriptions and marketing materials in Arabic, Hermes saw a significant increase in sales from Arabic-speaking customers.
Customer Satisfaction: The culturally adapted content resonated well with the target audience, leading to positive feedback and a stronger connection with the brand.
Conclusion: This project exemplifies the importance of combining linguistic expertise with cultural understanding and technical know-how in the translation and localization process. For Hermes, our work ensured that their brand’s elegance and luxury were perfectly conveyed to the Arabic-speaking market, helping them to strengthen their presence and achieve greater success in the region.
Our partnership with Hermes is a testament to our commitment to delivering high-quality translation and localization services tailored to the specific needs of luxury brands.
Case Study: Language Training for Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Background
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is a leading global omnichannel specialty retailer that offers apparel and accessories for men, women, and kids through five renowned brands: Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister, Gilly Hicks, and Social Tourist. Established in 1892, the iconic Abercrombie & Fitch brand is known for creating products that allow consumers worldwide to express their individuality and style.
Operating approximately 730 stores across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. also maintains a strong online presence through various e-commerce sites. Since 2009, Lara Panzini has been organizing language training for the company, providing intensive and extensive face-to-face and online training for employees in London and abroad.
Customer’s Requirements for Intensive Onboarding Language Training
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. needed to equip its managers, most of whom were complete beginners in the target language, with the necessary language skills to perform their roles effectively. The key requirements were:
- Enabling managers to reach an operational level of language proficiency to recruit and train local staff.
- Providing managers with a deep understanding of the target culture and working styles.
- Preparing managers for the practicalities of living overseas, alleviating any concerns about their new environments.
Challenges
Several challenges needed to be addressed:
- Consistent Training Approach: Developing a uniform training program that could be delivered worldwide, with content tailored to enable managers to live and work abroad.
- Cultural Awareness Integration: Embedding cultural awareness into all language programs to ease the transition to new environments.
- Time Constraints: Designing a high-impact training program that could be delivered within a limited time frame of 4 to 12 weeks.
- Confidentiality: Ensuring the confidentiality of Abercrombie & Fitch’s expansion program when selecting and training partner schools abroad.
Results
Through close collaboration with the Abercrombie & Fitch team, we developed a language training program that combined general language skills with work-specific competencies. The program was designed with the understanding that most managers were complete beginners and needed to reach an operational level by the program's end.
Given that many managers were experiencing living and working abroad for the first time, cultural awareness was integrated into the language program rather than delivered separately. This approach was based on the belief that language and culture are inextricably linked.
Key Components of the Program:
- Intensive Language Training: Programs were conducted for 6 hours daily over 4-12 weeks, depending on the language.
- Weekly Tutorials and Progress Assessments: To ensure continuous improvement and address any learning gaps.
- Practical Tasks: Incorporating real-world interactions to enable managers to apply their language skills in practical situations.
Summary
Over the years, feedback on these programs has been consistently positive. The success of the project can be attributed to the high level of dedication from both Abercrombie’s managers and the language trainers. Managers demonstrated an eagerness to learn and adapt to new languages and cultures, while trainers focused on linking language learning directly to work-related scenarios and incorporating practical tasks outside the classroom.
Key Points:
- Clear and realistic objectives.
- Strong curriculum design.
- Careful selection of partner schools worldwide.
- Highly professional language trainers.
The program not only met the immediate language needs of Abercrombie & Fitch’s managers but also prepared them for successful international assignments, contributing to the company’s global expansion efforts.
Case Study: Enhancing Accessibility in Education for GEMS Education through Comprehensive Language Services
Client: GEMS Education
Services Provided: Translation, Localization, Subtitling, and Voice Over
Languages: English to Arabic
Industry: Education
Overview
GEMS Education, a global leader in K-12 education, approached us with a challenge: to make their educational materials accessible and culturally relevant for Arabic-speaking students across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The project involved translating a wide range of educational content from English to Arabic, localizing the materials to reflect cultural nuances, and providing subtitling and voice-over services to ensure the content was both engaging and accessible.
Objective
The primary objective of the project was to:
- Translate educational content from English to Arabic while maintaining accuracy and fidelity to the original material.
- Localize the content to ensure cultural relevance and appropriateness for the target audience.
- Subtitling the educational videos to cater to students who prefer reading or have hearing impairments.
- Voice Over the videos with native Arabic speakers to enhance engagement and comprehension.
Challenges
Cultural Nuances: Translating educational content while preserving the cultural context is crucial. Some concepts in English may not have direct equivalents in Arabic, requiring careful adaptation.
Consistency in Terminology: Educational materials often use specialized terminology that must be consistently translated across all materials.
Engagement through Voice Over: Providing voice-over services that maintain the tone and educational intent of the original content while making it relatable for Arabic-speaking students.
Technical Accuracy in Subtitling: Ensuring subtitles were accurate, well-timed, and did not disrupt the learning experience.
Solution
To address these challenges, we adopted a multi-faceted approach:
Expert Translation and Localization: We assembled a team of experienced translators and localization experts who are native Arabic speakers with a deep understanding of the educational sector. They worked meticulously to ensure that the translation was accurate and culturally appropriate. The content was adapted to fit the cultural context of the MENA region, ensuring that students could relate to the material.
Consistent Terminology: A glossary of key terms was developed and maintained throughout the project to ensure consistency across all translated materials. This was crucial in maintaining the integrity of educational content.
Professional Voice Over: We employed professional Arabic voice-over artists with experience in educational content. The voice-over was recorded with the intent to match the tone, pace, and style of the original English content, making the material engaging and easy to follow.
High-Quality Subtitling: Subtitles were carefully crafted to be clear, concise, and well-timed with the video content. This ensured that students who prefer reading or those with hearing impairments could fully engage with the material without distraction.
Results
The comprehensive language services provided resulted in:
Increased Accessibility: The Arabic-speaking students could fully engage with the educational content, resulting in a more inclusive learning environment.
Enhanced Engagement: The culturally relevant content and professional voice-over helped students connect better with the material, leading to improved learning outcomes.
Positive Feedback: GEMS Education reported high satisfaction with the translated and localized content, noting an increase in student engagement and comprehension.
Scalable Solution: The project set a benchmark for future educational content translation and localization projects within GEMS Education, providing a scalable model for the organization to use in other regions and languages.
Conclusion
Our collaboration with GEMS Education demonstrated the critical role that high-quality translation, localization, subtitling, and voice-over services play in making education accessible and engaging for a diverse student population. The success of this project underscores our commitment to delivering language solutions that meet the specific needs of our clients and their audiences.
This case study reflects the effective execution and impact of our services, positioning us as a trusted partner in the educational sector for language solutions.
CASE STUDY:
In-company Language Training Evidence of Learning through Videos
BACKGROUND
We organised a Spanish language course for a large American retailer. Participants were primarily multilingual, living and working in different offices around the UK and Europe, mainly young professionals. Due to their different locations, we opted for online lessons. As lessons were just 45 minutes long and once a week, we decided to focus on evidence of learning to maximise participants’ exposure to the language and group work.
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
The main objective for our corporate client was to offer their staff lunch time lessons to raise morale and give them an opportunity to learn with other teams from other offices. Lessons were to be taken during their lunch break so just 45 minutes each. Lessons had to focus on communication and interaction.
CHALLENGES
- 45 minutes for each lesson
- The course was to be delivered live online
- 10 lessons in total
- Multilingual participants
- Some participants had already some knowledge of Spanish
- Participants had different expectations
- Absences linked to COVID and work commitments
RESULTS
As lessons were short and just once a week, we decided to experiment with an online platform called VideoBit to help participants evidence their learning each week. Lessons focused on the basics of Spanish with focus on communication. After each lesson, the tutor posted a short video, maximum 60 seconds, with an example of what they should post as their homework. This was a fun and relevant way to engage participants scattered across Europe and the UK to connect between lessons, learn from each other and showcase what they learnt each week.
SUMMARY
Thanks to our fantastic teachers, participants achieved:
- A basic knowledge of Spanish
- The ability to interact in simple everyday situations
- The opportunity to interact with their colleagues
- Showcase their learning each week
CASE STUDY:
Technical Translation for Car Manufacturer: Managing Large Projects and Tight Deadlines
BACKGROUND
In 2021, a large and well-known car manufacturer sought a reliable translation provider to support the launch of new car models across five European countries. The translated materials included highly technical content intended for both internal and external customers: training materials for engineers and dealers, owner manuals, customer materials, and training videos requiring subtitling and voice-over services.
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
Meeting deadlines was crucial for the client, as the documentation had to be published on time to support the sales of new car models across Europe. After agreeing on the project timetable and target languages for each task, we determined the time required for translation and formatting. Translators needed to be “local” to ensure language accuracy and cultural appropriateness. Editing was essential for each project, as every document needed to feel like it was originally written for that specific market. To facilitate this process, we developed technical glossaries and a translation memory to ensure consistency across projects.
CHALLENGES
- Fast and reliable translation
- Tight deadlines
- Large volumes of text in five target languages
- Coordinating teams of translators, editors, project managers, and formatters across Europe
- Effective time management for different content per language
- Smooth transfer of finished documents
RESULTS
Since 2021, several projects were delivered on time, translating a total of 32 million words. All client engineers were able to review the material for consistency and add their edits within the given time frame. Despite some translators being affected by COVID-19 during the pandemic, the workflow, quality, and delivery met the required standards. Client engineers had easy access to documents, making the process transparent and straightforward. Our flexible model enabled us to deliver precisely what the client needed.
SUMMARY
Thanks to a highly professional team and efficient management, our client:
- Met the launch date for each car model
- Reduced project management costs by entrusting us with the coordination across Europe
- Delivered high-quality material in all five languages
- Stayed on budget
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