How content and its translation affect the brand image

16 June 2022

In a present-day world of technology and rapid dissemination of information, the image of a brand/company/organization depends on multiple factors. In today’s article, we will focus on one of them, namely, the quality of content that the company creates about itself, its activities, services, etc.

This primarily includes the following:

• website/showcase (landing) page or platform;
• promotional materials as a tool for shaping the company’s visions;
• audio and video materials;
• content posted on the company’s social media pages;
• blog or article content;
• advertising texts.

For a content strategy to be successful, text uniqueness is paramount. We are keener to perceive a text that contains unique or valuable information and, most importantly, material that teaches us something new. Aggressive and intrusive marketing is out of fashion now.

Another component is the relevance and timeliness of the content published. Information tends to become “obsolete” and irrelevant fast these days. This is why the content strategy should rely on a clear timetable for content creation and publication.

Opinions of our prospective clients about short texts or long reads may differ, but in any case, a visually attractive, logically structured and, most importantly, the literate text would be perceived better. For us, literacy means something that comprises all aspects, such as the absence of mistakes per se, and correctly selected vocabulary. For example, young people would perceive an easy text that is not overloaded with academic lingo better. This applies not only to the original version but also to the translated content if the company or organization operates across multiple countries or wants to enter a new market.

It is vital that the content is created by a professional copywriter who understands the topic, whereas translation is performed by a professional translator who will take care of all the above-mentioned details, like structure, logic, literacy, up-to-date vocabulary, etc. Simple or complicated syntactic constructions, professional terminology or slang should thus be reproduced in the target language with regard to their usage rules, and clarity for the target audience.

The translator’s adherence to instructions from the content manager or marketing specialist is equally important during translation. This includes the correct use of keywords, keeping the same word count, and performing translation or transcreation (an author’s translation that allows paraphrasing or modifying the text, while conveying the basic meaning).

Any translation should be handled by a team comprising at least a translator and editor. The final stage is when the clarity and adequacy of the text are confirmed by a native speaker. This is a must for such materials since people who communicate in the target language represent your potential target audience. When placing an order for translation, be sure to indicate all the details concerning the language and country. For example, Portuguese spoken in Portugal is different from the Portuguese spoken in Brazil.

Producing and translating videos into a foreign language is a multi-stage process. It may take two or three days to translate a video that lasts a few minutes. Why? First, time-coded transcription, translation and editing of the text are performed. The next step is to choose a person whose voice is best suited for voicing the respective video. Only after these steps are completed, the video is voiced over in the post-production.

Any materials related to the company, its services, operations, etc., which tend to advertise, give advice or information, must be updated, well-structured, and literate. This is definitely only one small but nonetheless significant aspect underlying the company’s image.

KLS Translation Agency provides interpretation and translation services in more than 30 languages. Translation and interpretation, layout design, subtitling, voiceover, and transcribing are tasks we do on an everyday basis, therefore, you may rest assured that translation of your company’s website, promotional materials or videos is in safe hands.